Waiting
by Rufus-sama
Summary: Postgame, PreAC. What happened to Rufus and the Turks after Meteor and leading up to the movie. Deals with Rufus' survival, recovery, and eventually the WRO... R&R?
1. Chapter 1

Day 37 and he was starting to get antsy. Sure, he hadn't been sitting there for the full 37 days, but he had been sitting there long enough; 22 days to be exact. 22 days sitting here, with no change in the other's condition.

Doctors tried to be optimistic for the ragged looking man, even if they were holding onto little hope. 'He got hit in the head pretty hard by the falling debris sir and got quite a few other critical injuries as well. It is a miracle that he survived at all.' _Hmph, if you call this surviving._

Tseng never quite believed in miracles, but at this point, that's exactly what he believed Rufus needed.

Thinking back to when he himself woke up was something Tseng didn't really like to do, but found himself doing often enough while sitting in the almost silent room. The sound of machines monitoring a heart beat and breathing for his boss were his only company and they weren't able to help him stop thinking of that day.

_flashback_

'Tseng-san! You're awake! We were so worried!'

_Hmm? I recognize that voice..._ Tseng slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself face to face with a bubbly blonde.

'Elena? Yes, I'm awake thank you. I'm sorry to have worried you.'

'Do you need anything? Are you comfortable? Would you like me to get you some water?' Elena was sounding more like a mother hen by the second.

'No Elena, I'm fine. Just allow me a few moments to wake up please.'

She blushed a little at his reply. 'I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to smother you.'

Tseng brought his hand up to his face, to try to rub the tiredness out of his eyes. He then lowered his hand to his chest and lazily let it trail down to his stomach where he then winced in pain at something.

_What the hell is that?_ It took him a few more groggy moments before the memory came back to him. _Sephiroth. But how...?_

'How am I still alive?' When he was lying in the Temple, he was sure that he was going to die.

'Well, we've concluded that you have a lucky chocobo shoe stuck way up your ass.' Reno laughed at his own comment. 'It's the only logical explanation for it as far as we can tell.'

He paused for a moment, then started talking again. "Hey Tseng, did you ever take Rufus chocobo hunting for target practice or something? I'm thinking you must have and you each kept a shoe. I'm 100 percent sure that Rufus has the other chocobo shoe up his ass. Well, maybe not 100 percent sure, more like 75. I'll be 100 percent sure of that when he wakes up.'

Tseng's body tensed at the mention of Rufus. 'Rufus? Did something happen to him? What do you mean when he wakes up?'

None of the three Turks wanted to be the one to break the news to Tseng. They really were at a loss for words at this point. How do you tell a person that someone one floor above you, that you know they are very close to, might die?

'Reno? What do you mean when he wakes up?' Tseng was met again by silence.

'Damnit someone tell me! What the hell is going on? Spit it out Reno. _Now._' Reno wasn't at all pleased with being chosen to speak.

'Ah hell, why me?'

'Because you're second in command and were in charge when I got injured. Logically, it falls to you to explain what happened.'

With a sigh, Reno pulled up a chair and sat next to Tseng's bed. 'Weapon destroyed the Shinra tower, the top part of it anyway. That's not really a big deal in and of itself. The big deal is that Rufus was in his office when it attacked, so he got hit by the blast. Don't ask me how the hell he survived that, we have no clue. We caught up with him after the medics got him out of the building when they were putting him in a transport. We got in the transport with them and made our way to Junon. He hasn't woke up since then Tseng and that was 2 weeks ago.'

He allowed Tseng a moment to allow that to sink in. 'So, he's been unconscious for 2 weeks?'

'In a coma actually, sir.' Rude continued where Reno left off. 'He got hit in the head pretty hard with some of the debris and has a few other injuries as well. I can go speak to the doctor and get the injury list from him if you want to see it sir.'

He nodded his head in agreement. 'Yes, that would be helpful Rude.'

Rude bowed slightly and left in search of Rufus' doctor. He returned about 15 minutes later with a chart. 'Here you go sir. There's a couple of things there that aren't really relevant, but his injuries are listed in full.'

Tseng picked up the chart and reviewed it. Broken bones, burns, concussion (apparently severe enough for a coma), crushed leg, broken back, several deep lacerations, shock (obviously), internal bleeding...it went on to list a few more injuries as well.

'How did he survive all this?' The three of them shrugged, none of them being able to provide an explanation. Theoretically, Rufus should be dead.

'That's why we say he has a chocobo shoe up his ass. He should be dead. He's just too damn stubborn to know it.'

Tseng laughed a little at Reno's comment. 'Yes, he is stubborn when it comes to certain things. Luckily, he decided to be stubborn about this.'

Re-reading the list, he questioned a few of them. 'So what did they do about the bleeding and the back?'

'Surgery. One that he barely survived and that they shouldn't have done because he was so weak, but one that they had to do. It was one of those, "don't do it and he'll die, do it and he might die" kind of things.'

Reno sighed and tried to explain to Tseng what the doctors told them, but for once he was at a loss for words. He looked to Rude to finish the explanation for him. 'They don't know if he'll be able to walk again Tseng. The doctor said all they can do is wait until he wakes up and ask him to try to move his legs. They might be able to help him a bit later on when he's had more time to recover, but they can't guarantee he'll ever walk again.'

Tseng stared dumbfounded at Rude for a few moments. _Can't walk again? Planet, how the hell is someone supposed to explain that to Rufus? He'll be crushed._

Attempting to rise from his bed, he was stopped by 6 sets of hands. Elena spoke up first.

'You can't leave yet Tseng-san. Please give yourself a couple of days. You just woke up.' He was growing impatient; he wanted to see him _now_.

'You can't see him right now anyway Tseng, the doctor is in there checking up on him. We'll see what we can do about getting you out of here by tomorrow or the day after, but he won't let you check out before that. You won't be much good to Rufus still weak and tired yourself.' Rude told him, the voice of reason among the three of them.

Nodding in agreement with Rude, he lay back in the bed. 'Very well Rude. But have the doctor visit me tomorrow asap.'

_end flashback_

Coming back to the present, he looked at Rufus to see if anything whatsoever had changed. A hand in a different place then before, his head tilted more to the left, to the right, anything possible that would be a sign that Rufus was still in there somewhere. But there was nothing. The same as it had been for the past 22 days.

_Come on Rufus. You're in there somewhere, just wake up already._ 'Please Rufus, just a twitch of a hand, a moan, something, anything. 37 days Rufus, 37. You know, you've slept through a lot of interesting things, which I am sure will irritate you when you find out about them after you wake up. Sephiroth has apparently been defeated, Meteor didn't fall, although while stopping Meteor, the Lifestream damaged a large area, if not all, of Midgar. From what I understand, the top portion of the Shinra building is destroyed. Hmph, if there was anything in your desk that you wanted to keep Rufus-sama, I'm afraid it's probably turned to ashes.'

He talked to Rufus all the time, hoping that hearing his voice would help to make him recover quicker. It didn't seem to be working, although the doctor encouraged talking to him just so Rufus knows there's someone with him. 'Some people in a coma can hear you talking to them. Even if there's no sign that he hears you, talk anyway.' Is what the doctor told him.

'Anyway, it's getting late Rufus. I'm going to lie down. I'll just be a few feet away from you though, so if you happen to wake up and need something just yell for me ok? Goodnight Rufus.' With a sigh, he got up from the chair and made his way to the bed on the other side of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

When he was able to come see Rufus, Tseng made it a point to let them know he would not be leaving the room, even to go to sleep. He said he'd sleep in the chair if he had to.

They had tried to convince him otherwise, but injured or not, Tseng was still strong and they couldn't overpower him enough to forcibly make him leave. The other Turks didn't even try to get him to leave, they knew it would have been pointless to even try. As he was still injured, and there was an extra bed available, they ended up having the extra bed brought into Rufus' room for him. He made his way to that bed, pulled the covers and drifted to sleep.

Waking up the next morning, he prepared himself for another day of hoping something positive would happen regarding Rufus' condition. As was his routine, he made his way from his bed to the chair by Rufus' bed. As usual, he heard the door behind him silently open, and close softly behind the new person in the room.

'Good morning Tseng-san, here's your morning wake up call.' Taking the coffee from the other's hand, he smiled at him.

'Thank you, Reno.' Glancing down at the coffee in his hand he looked back at Rufus and idly said 'You wouldn't think that putting some of this in Rufus' IV would wake him up do you?'

'Probably not sir, but hell, anything is worth a try at this point.' Tseng let out a dry laugh at his comment. 'Yeah, anything probably is. Day 38 Reno, and nothing is different. I talk to him everyday hoping something will wake him up. Nothing does. Absolutely nothing.'

'He'll come around sir I'm sure of it.' Looking away from Rufus for a moment, he glanced up at Reno. 'Do you really think that Reno or are you just saying that to make me feel better?'

Reno pulled up the other chair that was in the room and sat down beside Tseng. 'In all honesty sir, I don't know what to think. He should be dead, but he's not. At first I thought he wouldn't make it; I was 100 percent sure that we were going to tell you that Rufus died. Somehow he didn't die and made it through the surgery that the doctor said Rufus had a 10 percent chance of surviving.'

'When he pulled through that, I started thinking that he wouldn't die and that he was going to be alright. It's been a month since then and now I'm not so sure. Yes, he's alive, but is he ever going to wake up? That's the new question. And when he does wake up, how fucked up is he going to be from his injuries?'

Turning away from Reno he leaned back in his chair and watched Rufus. 'I don't know Reno. Hopefully he'll be alright and not too worse for wear. I'm sure he'll have a long recovery ahead of him though. But he won't go through that alone, I won't let him.'

'We won't either Tseng. Hell, we stuck by him this long, we won't leave him now. Besides, we don't want to leave him alone either.'

He turned back to Reno and smiled at that. 'I'm sure he'd thank you if he heard you say that and of course if he could speak at the moment.'

Turning back to Rufus he spoke to him. 'Wouldn't you Rufus? You wouldn't ignore something like that would you?'

He was looking at Rufus' face but he could have sworn he saw something move on the bed. He thought maybe it was Reno that put his hand on the bed so he turned to look at him.

Given the look of utter shock and then the smile that appeared on his face, it was safe to assume that it wasn't his hand. 'Reno? What's wrong?' Reno couldn't really give a straight answer, he was too busy smiling. All he could say was 'Holy fuck'. Tseng turned his head to follow where Reno was looking and found himself looking into a pair of deep blue eyes. 'Holy fuck'.

'Rufus? Finally! Reno, go get the doctor, tell him Rufus woke up.'

'Gladly boss.' Getting up from the chair he looked up to Rufus and smiled. 'Welcome back chief.' He then made his way out of the room to find Rufus' doctor.

Seeing his expression, Rude and Elena knew that something was up. Reno usually didn't leave Rufus' room in such a rush.

'Reno! What's going on? Is Shachou ok?' Elena asked him. Seeing that he wasn't stopping, Rude stood in front of him, hoping he'd stop long enough so that he could figure out what had Reno so high strung.

'Move Rude, I have to get his doctor.' Hearing that, Rude moved out of the way and allowed Reno to rush past. 'But _why_ Reno? What's wrong with him?'

He glanced back at them for a brief second to reply. 'Nothing is wrong with him. Shachou woke up!'

Rude and Elena stood in shock for a moment. Rude spoke up first. 'I didn't think he was actually going to pull through.' Elena nodded in agreement. 'Yeah, me neither. Tseng must be happy to see him awake.'

Curious as to what was going on in Rufus' room, they quietly opened the door and slowly entered. Elena was first to break the silence. 'Tseng-san, is he alright? Has he said anything yet?'

Tseng turned his head away from the President to acknowledge them both and then shook his head. 'No, he hasn't. I think he's still in a daze from being asleep for so long.' Glancing back at Rufus, his eyes were open, but still unfocused.

'Think he'll come around?' Rude asked out loud, knowing that no one in the room could answer his question.

'I hope so Rude.' They were unable to continue their conversation as Reno re-appeared with the doctor in tow.


	3. Chapter 3

'Sorry it took so long, I couldn't find him anywhere.' Tseng nodded his head and left his seat, giving the doctor room to look at Rufus.

'Everyone out please, I have to examine him.' Tseng glanced at the doctor, shaking his head. 'We can't leave him alone; someone has to stay with him.' 'He's right yo, we can't leave Rufus by himself. We still have a job to do.'

Seeing that they wouldn't leave, and that arguing about it would be a lost cause, the doctor sighed in annoyance. 'Fine, one of you can stay. But stay out of my way.'

Turning to the other three, Tseng informed them that he would stay with Rufus and that they could wait outside. Knowing there was no point in arguing, they exited the room and returned to their usual place in the waiting room, hoping for positive news from the doctor.

About 20 minutes later, the doctor exited the room, Tseng close behind. Hearing the door, Rude glanced up and asked the question that was on everyone's mind; 'Is he going to be alright?'

'Yes, he should make a full recovery from most of his injuries. He'll snap out of his daze in a few days. Once he's more coherent, we'll be able to really have a look at him and give a proper prognosis about his legs.'

Reno, usually upbeat, seemed more somber at the mention of Rufus' legs. 'So there's still a chance that he won't be able to walk again?'

'It's a possibility. Everything looks like it healed correctly, but in the end, the only way to know for sure is to have him try to move his legs himself. It's a 50/50 chance at this point that he will walk again.' _At least it's a better prognosis then before, even if it is only 50/50._ Tseng mused.

After a few moments, the doctor left, leaving the four Turks with their thoughts.

Reno was the first to break the silence. 'What happens if he can't walk again, yo?'

'Nothing Reno; he'll still be the President, whether he can walk or not. He'll have to, actually, we'll all have to, just adjust to the change.'

Having no reply to Tseng's comment, Reno sighed sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room.

'So, what do we do now?'

'We wait Elena. There's nothing really that we can do until he comes around.' Tseng told her while making his way back to Rufus' room. 'I will come and see you guys when he fully wakes up.' With that, he closed to door behind him, leaving the three Turks in the waiting room and sat back down in the chair next to the bed.

-----------------

'Reno, stop pacing, you're making me dizzy.'

'Then don't look at me Rude.' Rude raised an eyebrow at his friend's comment. 'Sorry buddy, I'm just getting impatient. He should be pretty much back to normal by now shouldn't he? Unless he did get hit harder on the head then we thought, then he might not ever get back to normal.'

'Rufus will get back to normal. Just give him time. He hasn't even been awake for 2 full days yet.'

'Yeah, you're right.' Sighing, he pulled out a cigarette, sat down and waited.

In Rufus' room, Tseng found himself back in the same position that he was in for what felt like an eternity; sitting in a chair beside his bed. _This feels so familiar. Oh yes! I remember why. I'm back in the same place I was in not even 2 days ago. The only difference now is that I'm waiting for Rufus to snap out of it and talk to me instead of wondering if he'll live.  
_  
With a sigh, he looked at Rufus who now appeared to be just sleeping. He figured he'd try talking to him again, not just to get him to wake up, but to help Tseng pass the time.

'You know, the quicker you snap out of this, the quicker we can get you the hell out of here and the quicker you can get back to work. I'm sure you miss working; that's all you ever do.'

He looked at Rufus for any signs that he had heard him. Nothing. Tseng leaned forward, elbows on knees, head leaning forward and let out a sigh.

'I'm sure you're enjoying the fact that there are people here anxiously waiting for you to wake up. You always were an attention seeker. Although, I must admit that this is going a bit too far for attention. A simple concussion would have been more then enough to have our, or at least my, full attention Rufus.'

A weak, groggy voice replied to his last comment. 'But that would have been too easy and you know I don't do anything the easy way.'

His head shot up, relieved to finally hear another voice in the room. 'Good afternoon Rufus. Glad to see you back among the living.'

'Heh. Thanks. I think.' He smiled weakly up at Tseng, trying hard to keep his eyes open.

'Get some rest Rufus. I'll go tell the others you're awake.' Tseng found it difficult to hide the happiness in his voice. 'I'll be right back.'

'Tseng?'

'Yes sir?'

'Could you go and tell them tomorrow? I don't feel up to talking at the moment and I figure they'll want to talk to me right now if you tell them I'm awake.'

Smiling at Rufus he returned to his chair. 'Alright Rufus, I'll tell them tomorrow. Do you want me to leave you so you can sleep or would you like me to stay?'

'Do you mind staying Tseng?'

_If you only knew how long I've been staying here Rufus, you'd know the answer to that question._ 'No Rufus, I don't mind at all. Get some sleep sir. You can wake me up if I'm still sleeping when you wake up.'

A small smile appeared on Rufus' lips. 'Thank you Tseng.' He then closed his eyes and was quickly asleep.

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A/N part 2: I did do some research on what happens when a person comes out of a coma and it does take a few days at least for them to be aware of their surroundings. Just thought I'd mention that in case people were wondering why I put Rufus totally out of it at the start of this chapter. Please R & R! Positive comments and "wth are you dragging this on for?" comments are welcome too…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Same as the last 3 chapters…

A/N: Yes…I enjoy having lots of interaction between the Turks. Call it an over-active imagination or too much time on my hands…

btw...thank you for the reviews! I hope those that have liked it so far will like this part too...

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The next morning, Tseng appeared in the waiting room, his expression blank. Not knowing if that was a good sign or not, Reno played it safe and decided to tease him a bit.

'Tseng? Is that you? I barely recognize you yo, I haven't seen you in so long.'

'Very funny Reno.'

'I try boss. So what brings you out here among us?'

'Nothing much. I just figured that you guys would like to see Shachou for a bit.'

Rude stood up and walked towards Tseng. 'You mean he's really awake now?'

'Yes he is. But don't ask him to talk too much, he's still very tired. Also, don't mention anything about what happened regarding Meteor, weapon or his legs. Better yet, don't mention anything to him at all about his injuries or current events unless he asks. Got it?'

The three Turks nodded that they understood the rules. Tseng opened the door and allowed them in.

Looking at the still form in the bed, Rude spoke up. 'He's sleeping Tseng. We'll come back later.'

'He's not really sleeping Rude, he just closed his eyes. He was awake a couple of minutes ago saying that I could go tell you he was awake.'

Despite being told otherwise, he was convinced Rufus was now sleeping. Rude didn't move towards the bed; he didn't want to wake him.. 'Well then, I think he fell asleep again. Let him sleep Tseng-san, we'll come back.'

'What? You don't want to see him or something?' Tseng teased.

'That's not it all yo. We really want to, but he needs his rest too. We don't want him straining himself just for us.'

'I know you guys want to Reno, and I know that I should let him sleep. But Rufus told me to get you guys and wake him up on the off chance that he fell asleep while I went outside to get you three.'

He let go of the handle and let the door close behind them and proceeded to shake Rufus gently to wake him. 'Sir? They're here.'

He opened his heavy eyelids and it took a few moments until things came into focus. 'Tseng? Didn't mean to fall asleep on you.' Slowly moving his head to the side, he saw the three Turks standing at the door. They seemed slightly nervous and worried about what to do next.

As is he felt their nervousness, he chuckled lightly at them. 'What? You guys are acting like I'll die if you come any closer. You _can_ come closer you know. I'll be fine.'

'Are you sure we're not disturbing you sir?'

'Yes Reno, I'm sure. If I get too tired I'll ask you guys to leave.'

They hesitantly ventured further into the room, with an unfounded worry that if they made any sudden noises, something bad would happen to the President.

'So, how are you feeling yo?'

'Fantastic, couldn't be better.' was the sarcastic reply.

'Sorry Shachou, stupid question.'

'I'm alive, I guess that's about all I can say. I am looking forward to being well enough to leave, which I do hope will be soon.'

'That won't be for a while Rufus, even if I have to tie you down myself, I'll make sure you don't go anywhere.' Tseng was mildly surprised that Rufus was already talking about leaving the hospital. _I shouldn't be though. He really doesn't like being sick for long._

'I'm awake and although I must admit that I'm still rather tired, I'm alert and coherent; therefore I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to leave soon. My legs are numb however, which is odd. Is there anything else wrong with me that I should be made aware which would require me staying longer then I would like?'

'Ahh, well Shachou, funny you should ask yo. Tseng was just about to tell you about that, weren't you Tseng?'

He turned and glared at Reno who was leaning against the wall, looking innocent. 'Really? What are you waiting for Tseng? Tell me.'

'It's not my place sir.'

'Sure it is, I can't think of anyone else that would be better to tell me something serious. I am assuming it is serious since Reno dumped the responsibility of telling me onto you, without a smirk on his face, Elena suddenly decided that something on the floor was very interesting and Rude turned his head to stare at a wall.'

'Well, you are very perceptive sir. But I'm really not the right person to ask about your condition. Reno, go get his doctor and tell him Rufus wishes to speak to him now.'

'Sure Tseng, I'll be right back with the doctor...again. I somehow remember doing this before. Now when was that again…?'

'Reno, in order to find a doctor, you have to get out of this room so get out and find him.'

'Alright Tseng alright.'

About 5 minutes later, Reno came back with the doctor not far behind. 'He wasn't that far this time boss. At least I didn't have to do a mad search for him again.'

'That's nice Reno.' Tseng replied, casually dismissing Reno's comment. Turning his attention to the doctor, Tseng brought him to the corner of the room to speak to him privately. Tseng was slightly unsure of how to approach the situation that was before him and unsure of how Rufus would take the news.

'Rufus has some questions for you regarding his health that I find myself unable to answer. If it's not too much trouble, could you please answer any and all questions the President has regarding his current condition.'

By "current condition" it was understood that Tseng meant his legs. 'Umm, yes, of course I will. I'll try to explain it as well as I can.'

Making his way towards the bed, the doctor smiled nervously at the other three then directed his attention to Rufus. 'Sir, I understand you have some questions regarding your health.'

'Yes I do. I'll just get to the most pertinent question that I have at the moment; why are my legs so numb?'

'Can you move them?'

5 sets of eyes were staring at the President, waiting with baited breath for his answer. 'No.' Sighing in a mix of anger and apprehension that he wasn't able to hide, he turned back to the doctor. 'What's wrong with them? I will be able to walk again won't I?'

'Please calm down Mr. President, you shouldn't be stressing yourself given your condition.'

'You try to not stress when you just figure out that you can't move!' Although not wanting to admit it and refusing to show it, Rufus was afraid that he would not be able to walk again.

'Sir?'

'What Tseng?'

'Can you feel this?' He was poking the lower half of Rufus' right leg, hoping that he would receive a positive response.

'A bit yes.'

A collective sigh was heard in the room, which seemed to aggravate the young President. 'Just because I said I felt doesn't mean everything is fine.'

'We know Shachou, but at least you can feel them. That's a start.'

'Rude is right yo. That is a good sign right doc?'

'Yes, it is a good sign. However, if I were you sir, I wouldn't expect to be able to move them for a while.'

'Why not?' He was slightly aggravated by the doctor's comment. _Thanks so much for sounding optimistic about this problem doc. I really appreciate the encouragement._

'Because your spine was damaged. You're lucky that you can feel them at all. The paralysis could only be temporary. We'll have to wait and see until the swelling of your spine goes down to know more. In the meantime, please don't move around too much; preferably at all. Moving will just damage it more.'

'And just how long do you expect me to stay immobile "just in case" I'll be able to move after the swelling goes down?'

'At least a week; maybe two. We'll do a scan on your back after a week to see how the swelling is.'

Rufus was caught between feeling extremely angry and feeling depressed over the news. 'And the chances of being able to move them after that?'

'Maybe 70/30 at best.'

Everyone was at a loss for words. Words that would normally be used to cheer someone up would have only made Rufus more upset then he was right now.

'I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news sir. Is there anything else I can get you before I tend to other patients? Are you in any pain at all?'

'A bit yes, but I'll be fine. Thank you.'

Bowing slightly the doctor turned and exited the room leaving the four Turks with an upset and although unwilling to admit it, a devastated Rufus.

'It's not as bad as it seems yo, you can still feel them; that has to count for something.'

'I can feel something that I currently have no control over. Yes, you're right Reno, it's definitely not that bad. Would you like to switch places then if it's not that bad?'

'Sorry Shachou.'

Rufus lay his head back on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. The others waited expectantly, not sure what to say to the man laying immobile on the bed.

'Everyone out. I'm tired.'

'Are you sure Shachou?' Uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the room at that moment or not, they didn't want to leave Rufus to deal with this himself.

'Yes I'm sure. The four of you; get out.'

'Rufus?'

'Please Tseng, just go.'

Feeling slightly rejected, Tseng bowed lightly and proceeded to leave the room with Reno, Rude and Elena. 'I'm coming back to check up on you later Rufus.'

'Whatever.'

Quietly shutting the door behind him, Reno pondered what just transpired in the room. 'So, he can't move and he's bummed out about it, so he just threw us out? Is that pretty much what just happened?'

'It would appear that way.'

'Straight to the point as always Rude.'

'I try.'

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A/N part 2: Just like the last chapter, I went and researched what happens after a back injury and if it is possible to fully recover. I didn't blindly write it up. lol R&R again please!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Refer to previous 4 chapters for it…

A/N: Hmm, none this time around…. Just a bit of angst I guess, not much though. I love angst but I didn't write too much since some might not like angst all that much… Italics are thoughts… R & R?

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About three hours after being thrown out of Rufus' room, Tseng had had enough of playing the waiting game. He got up from the room chair and went to Rufus' door.

'He said he wanted to be alone senpai.'

He stopped for an instant to regard Elena. 'I know he said that Elena, but I'm not letting him suffer through this alone, regardless of what he wants or what he thinks is best. He's had a few hours to go over this alone in his head. I let him sulk long enough.'

'But what if…' She was cut off by a door closing behind Tseng.

'Don't sweat it yo. Rufus'll still be sulking for a while yet, but Tseng will bitch it out of him if it's the last thing he does. He'll bitch at him in a nice way of course, but he'll still bitch.'

'Is there anything we can do to help?'

'For now? Just stay out of his way. Tseng'll ask us to help when he needs it.'

Elena accepted Reno's answer and sat back down. She didn't like seeing the people she cares about suffer; which made the situation with Rufus and Tseng that much more difficult.

'That a girl. You're catching on 'Leny. You just have to remember a few basic rules. Rule number 1: Don't interfere with Tseng when he's pissed at Rufus. Rule number 2: Don't bug Rufus when he's in a pissy "life sucks" mood like he is in right now; unless you either have a death wish or your name is Tseng.'

'Are there anymore rules that I should know about Reno?'

'Yeah, there's a few more.' he replied with the usual smirk on his face. 'I'll give the rest to you on a need to know basis.'

'That's just oh so kind of you.' Unable to stay still on her chair, she stood up and began pacing the waiting room floor.

'Look 'Leny, I know you wanna help, but leave Tseng to take care of this himself. We'll have the chance to help out yet yo.'

'Alright Reno, you win. I'll wait for Tseng to ask for assistance.'

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Upon entering Rufus' room, Tseng tried his best to calm his nerves and his temper.

'Are you done sulking yet?' The question came out a bit more edgier then Tseng had intended; but he was too upset at that point to really care.  
'Didn't I tell you to leave Tseng? I'm rather enjoying this silence and the ceiling is quite interesting.'

'Yes I know you told me to leave. But I was getting pretty bored outside looking at those walls and so I figured we could be bored together.' His comment did have a hidden meaning to it; _I'm not leaving you to fight this on your own. Get used to having me here._

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours; Rufus staring at the ceiling, Tseng staring at either Rufus or the wall behind his pillow. Tseng wanted to speak and try to cheer him up, but knew at this point that positive words wouldn't do any good.

'I'm going to be an invalid.'

'What was that sir?' He didn't expect Rufus to be the one to break the silence.

'You heard me. I'm going to be a useless invalid who won't be able to do anything on his own.' An admission of defeat was something else that Tseng had not expected from Rufus.

Turning away from the spot in the ceiling he'd been staring at, Rufus looked Tseng in the eye. 'What good is a President that can't move? How am I supposed to appear strong and have people respect and fear me when I'm not even strong enough to move one little toe?'

A couple of minutes passed before Tseng replied. 'Are you done?'

'Excuse me?' _I didn't just hear that from him; he wouldn't say that to me…_

'I said; are you done? Feeling sorry for yourself I mean.'

'Did you not hear one thing I just said?'

'Yes I did and I fail to see how it will interfere with you doing your job.'

'Because I can't move, don't you get that?' Tseng's inability to understand his point of view was only adding to his bad mood.

'What? Did you lose the ability to move your lips or think along with the ability to move your legs?'

He thought about what Tseng asked then quietly admitted, 'No, I didn't.'

'So where's the problem? You don't think with your legs, you think with your head and use your mouth to say what you're thinking. Really, if you think your career is over because you can't walk right now you're quite pitiful.'

Having Tseng say those things to him, let alone have him speak to him like that, was the last thing Rufus had expected. He was expecting some kind of meaningless encouragement "you'll be fine, you'll see". He certainly didn't expect Tseng to call him pitiful. Rufus wasn't quite sure what to say; this was nowhere near what he thought was going to happen.

'Hm, thank you so much for your encouragement Tseng. It's duly noted.'

'Why encourage you? You won't believe it anyway. I could encourage you until I'm blue in the face and you'd still end up feeling sorry for yourself at the end. Life goes on; all you have to do is learn how to work around this. It's not like you haven't had obstacles to work around before.'

Rufus laughed at Tseng's comment. 'Let's switch for a day and see if you'd be this positive being in my position right now.'

'I admit, I would probably be down. But, I would also try to not dwell on what I can't do and realize that I can still do a job. Not being able to walk isn't the end of the world Rufus. The doctor himself told you that you might be able to walk again once all the swelling goes down.'

'And if I can't?'

'Then you'll have to get used to giving orders from a chair. That's the only thing that will change.'

Tseng decided that it would be best for both of them to change the subject. Rufus needed to get his mind off of his legs and Tseng didn't want to worry more about him then he was already. 'There's nothing really that you can do right now about this since you're not allowed to move. Is there anything you feel like doing to get your mind off of things?'

'Is there any work that I can do?' Rufus asked, sounding hopeful.

'Probably not at the moment. We'll have to go to the Shinra building and see what's left of it. I'm sure it's safe to say that whatever papers you had in your office are now nothing but ashes.'

Rufus dropped his head, slightly disappointed. 'Oh. Well, we can just talk then; we haven't done that in a while.'

Tseng nodded in agreement. 'No we haven't done that in a long time.' They talked for hours about any subject that came to mind, until Rufus got tired and went to sleep.

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	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Same as always…

A/N: I did read "On the way to a smile" to know how Geostigma makes you feel but I'm not 100 percent sure if there's symptoms before you get it or you just wake up with it. I wrote it as though you have symptoms before you get the full blown disease.

How Rufus actually got it and how he ended up at the Healin' Lodge is apparently a great mystery, so work with me here alright? lol

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True to his word, the doctor came by the Monday after telling Rufus about his legs to check up on his condition.

'Can you feel that?'

'Yes.'

'Better then last week?'

'Yes. They're not so much numb anymore as they are just sore.' As much as he tried to keep from appearing happy, a small smile was on his lips when he felt the pressure on his leg.

'That's good. That means you're getting feeling back. I'll get you started on therapy later this week. I do have to tell you though; it will be pretty painful, but it will be a good pain. Just remember that you haven't moved your legs in almost a month and a half.'

Bowing to both Rufus and Tseng, the doctor took his leave.

'So are you ready for therapy Rufus?'

'Yes, I want to get up and get out of here.'

'You do realize that I won't let you over-exert yourself right?'

'Tseng, you worry too much. I'll be fine.' Rufus tried to hide a yawn but failed.

'You're tired again? You just woke up.'

'Yes I know, but I'm tired. Just a small nap Tseng, that's all.' Tseng was used to having to argue with Rufus to make him sleep; he seemed to believe sleep was a waste of time and took time away from work. He wasn't used to having Rufus go to sleep on his own; especially in the middle of the day.

'Are you sure you're feeling alright?'

'Yes Tseng, I'm fine. Wake me up in a couple of hours ok?' He closed his eyes and was alseep within minutes.

-----------------------------

Rufus' first day of therapy was scheduled for that Thursday. Although he complained a bit throughout the 2 hour session, he was happy that he was finally standing up. He did need help to stand however; but he managed to stand for a couple of seconds on his legs with his full weight on them. His legs screamed in protest when he did stand on them though, and he was thankful that there were bars on either side of him to fall on when they finally gave out.

Later that day, Tseng went to visit Rufus talk to him about his therapy session. 'The therapist says you did well for your first day. However, he would be appreciative if you wouldn't do what you did today again.'

'What did I do?' Rufus tried to hide the half smirk that was on his face. He pushed himself too far today and he knew that Tseng wasn't happy about it.

'You can't walk right away and you know it. You'll just end up hurting yourself and not help yourself out at all. Don't try to put your full weight on your legs for a while, just get used to standing.'

If it would be any other employee telling him what to do, Rufus would probably be thinking of how many ways that person could be killed. Seeing as though it was Tseng he decided to let it slide; at least for the time being. 'Alright Tseng fine. I'll take it easy next time.'

'Good.' He noticed Rufus looked tired again. 'Would you like to get some sleep sir? You did have a pretty strenuous day today.'

'Yes, I am tired. Hopefully this will pass. I'm getting tired of sleeping.'

Tseng chuckled slightly at his comment. 'Things will get better from here on out Rufus. Goodnight sir.'

'Goodnight.'

Tseng quietly made his way to the door and entered the waiting room. He didn't expect any of the three to be there; but when he looked around the room, he noticed that Reno, Rude and Elena were still there, waiting for news on Rufus. Tseng made his way to them and sat in the chair beside Elena.

Tseng sat down without so much as a word to any of them. He seemed to be preoccupied with something. 'You look worried yo. Things didn't go well today?'

'Yes Reno, things went well. I'm just wondering if Rufus is alright. He gets up in the morning, stays up for 2 hours, then sleeps for 3. He does that all day. It's not like him to be that tired; unless he's sick; which he isn't anymore. Even then he doesn't want to sleep and I have to argue with him to rest. Now he just sleeps almost all the time.'

'I wouldn't worry about it senpai, he is recovering from near fatal injuries after all.'

'Maybe that's all it is Elena. I do hope that you are right.' Tseng stared at the ground for a few moments before rising from his seat. 'Is anyone up for dinner somewhere outside of the hospital? A change of scenery would be nice.'

'Sure thing yo. Be more then happy to join you.'

-----------------------------

Rufus continued going to therapy and was showing great improvement in his legs. It was still painful to stand with all his weight on his legs, but that was improving as well.

One thing that was starting to aggravate him wasn't the fact that he couldn't walk for long or stand up for very long on his own. It was the fact that he was always tired. Besides the constant fatigue, he was staring to feel sore all over and having occasional spasms in his hand, chest and neck. Thinking that it was probably all due to stress, he shrugged it off and ignored it.

On one of the mornings when he was supposed to have therapy, he noticed something on his hand. He was so wrapped up in what he saw that he didn't notice Reno enter the room.

'How's it going today boss?' Seeing how Rufus wasn't really paying attention to him, he went to the bed and repeated his last question. 'How's it going today sir?' Looking down to where Rufus was looking he couldn't help but ask, 'What the hell is that?'

Rufus looked up from his hand to Reno, then back to his hand which appeared to have a huge black bruise. 'I have no idea. I just noticed it this morning. I can move my hand and everything though without any pain, so I have no clue what it is.'

'It's probably just a bruise yo, from when you were in therapy. I wouldn't worry much about it.'

With a sigh he brought his hands to the buttons on his shirt and opened it slightly. A black bruise, the same kind that was on his hand, was on his chest as well. 'I would say that it is just a bruise, but I'm starting to wonder that myself.'

Upon seeing the matching "bruise" on his chest, Reno started second guessing his original thought. 'Umm, maybe you should have that looked at Shachou. Do they hurt when you press on them?'

'Not really no. At least, they don't hurt the way a bruise hurts when you press on one. They do spasm a bit every now and then though; that's when they hurt.'

'Alright, I'll be right back with the doctor…again. I swear that guy has got to be annoyed with my by now.' He quickly turned on his heels and exited the room. He barely made it two steps into the waiting room when he bumped into someone else.

'Reno? What's the hurry? Is something wrong?'

'I don't know Tseng. I'm going to get that doctor again so that we can find out.'

_Doctor? Now what's wrong…_ 'Reno, why do you need the doctor to see Rufus? There's nothing wrong with him again is there?' He tried his best to hide the nervousness in his voice but he didn't succeed.

Reno noted the nervousness, but decided to ignore it. After all; he was just as worried as Tseng was, even if neither one of them knew if anything was very wrong with Rufus or not.

'That's why I'm getting the doc Tseng, to know if there is something wrong. I'd really love to stay and chat with you but I'm off to find the doc.' Tseng stepped out of Reno's way then entered Rufus' room.

He looked at Rufus who was still busy looking at his hand. He breathed a small sigh of relief and chuckled slightly when he noticed Rufus' hand. 'Is that what has you two so worried? It's a bruise, you'll be fine Rufus.'

Rufus showed him the one on his chest as well. 'Before you ask Tseng, I have no clue how I got them.'

Tseng refused to worry until the doctor could explain what it was. 'I'm sure they're just bruises Rufus. You probably got them from therapy.'

'Hn, that's exactly what Reno said.' Rufus did hope that it was nothing more then bruises that he got from falling in therapy but a nagging thought in the back of his head made him think otherwise.

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A/N pt 2: Does that sound about right?

Thanks again to those that reviewed, I'm hoping others will add their review as well. (hint hint) Let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Same as before…

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Tseng was almost certain that it was nothing; Rufus was after all learning how to walk again and falls were almost an everyday occurrence. It was to be expected that he'd have bruises on his body.

_Although the back of your hand is a strange place to have a bruise from falling_. The more he thought about it, he was starting to wonder about the nature of the bruises as well. _His chest I can understand but his hand? Unless it was in front of him when he fell but still, it's an odd place for one. We'll just have to see what the doctor thinks about them I guess._

As if on queue, Reno was back with the doctor. 'Look who I found strolling through the hallway. He looked pretty bored so I figured I'd drag him in here to see the President. Aren't I nice?'

'Yes, yes, you're the nicest person I've ever met Reno.' _Must he honestly have a stupid comeback every time he brings the doctor here?_

Tseng then turned his attention to the doctor, 'Dr. Collins, the President seems to have a few bruises that he's concerned about. Could you take a look at them please to appease him and everyone else in this room?'

'Bruises? Where are these bruises?' Tseng noted something along the lines of worry in the tone of the doctor's voice.

'One is on his hand and the other is one his chest. We think that it's from falling in therapy but it's better to be safe and ask about them correct? Is there something wrong with the fact that he has bruises? You don't seem happy to hear that.' _He knows something; why does he sound so worried about bruises?  
_  
'Oh, it is probably from the falls that he's had the past couple of weeks, I wouldn't worry about them. I'll just have a look just to be sure.' He made his way to Rufus and asked to see his hand.

Tseng and Reno followed close behind the doctor. Tseng went to the other side of the bed so that he could have a clear look at the doctor. He was hoping to see a smile on the doctor's face which would tell him it really was just a bruise; unfortunately that was not the look he saw.

Rufus noticed the look as well. 'Doc? Is something wrong? You don't seem to think that this thing is just a bruise.'

'When did you first notice this?'

'This morning, the same for the one on my chest.'

'Do they hurt?'

'Depends by what you consider hurt.'

'What do you mean?'

Rufus didn't like the tone of the doctor's voice. It was as if he knew already what it was but was stalling to avoid having to tell him what was wrong.

'I mean that they don't really hurt until they spasm. That part of my hand and chest have been doing that for the past few days but the black spots were never there before.'

'Has anything oozed out of them yet?'

_Has anything what?_ 'No, what do you mean by oozed out? Judging by your reaction to this bruise on my hand, I think it's safe to assume that something isn't right about it. Quit stalling and just tell me.'

'I'm not entirely sure how to explain it, since there hasn't been much time to research it. However, there have been other people that have had the same bruising as you call it on different parts of their bodies as well.'

Having heard that Rufus wasn't the only person that had these bruises, Tseng realized that it was something more serious then either he, Rufus or Reno had thought.

He was afraid to hear the answer to the questions on his mind but he felt that he had to ask them. 'What happened to the people that had the same bruises? What exactly did you mean by something oozing out?'

'The people that had the same lesions? Well, most of them are children. They are still alive but they get very ill when the lesions react. We're still trying to determine what exactly causes them to react and cause, for lack of a better word, the ooze to come out.'

Rufus could tell that the doctor was trying to avoid something. He noted that he mentioned that most of the infected ones were children, what about the rest?

'And so, obviously, the rest that weren't children are adults, correct?'

'Yes sir, the rest are adults.'

'How are they dealing with it?'

'Well, for the most part, they are doing fine considering.'

'You're avoiding something. Just spit it out already, how are they doing?'

'Most of them have already died sir.'

Although shocked and scared about the outcome, Rufus somehow managed to hide his emotions from his voice. 'They died? How long did they live?'

'Some of them are still alive, but most died within the first month or two of the outbreak of the disease. Once the lseions appear, it's hard to say exactly how long the person has.'

Tseng, standing quietly next to Rufus' bed, didn't want to accept what the doctor just said. Rufus was going to die and there was no telling when that would be.

There has to be something that can be done. 'You have to be able to do something about this, give him some drug, give him something to stop this. Isn't there a cure?'

The doctor looked up at Tseng, compassion and sorrow both in his eyes. 'I'm sorry sir, but there's nothing we can give him to stop this. We can give him pain killers to make it more bearable but there is no cure.'

'Is there a name to this disease? If I'm going to die because of it, I would at least like to know the name of what it was that killed me.' He somehow managed to maintain his composure even with all the thoughts going through his mind. _This can't be happening to me, not again. I was just recovering from one set of injuries; I don't need something else._

'Yes, it has a name sir. It's called Star-Scar Syndrome but most people call it Geostigma. I'm sorry sir.'

Having known Rufus for years, Tseng could tell that he was devastated regarding this news. _Who wouldn't be? Anyone would break if you told them you're going to die and it's going to hurt._ If Rufus was going to die, he wanted to ensure that it would be as comfortable as possible. Regardless of what he would have to do to ensure Rufus' comfort, Tseng would be sure that it would be done.

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A/N: Too long? Like / hate it? Review and let me know!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: same as always…

A/N: I'm at a slight block as to how to continue past this part. I have a bunch of ideas; it's just to write them out.

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'Are you positive that there's nothing at all that can be done? I don't care what it is or how we have to get it, if there's something _anything_ I want to know.' He knew he sounded desperate, but Tseng didn't care. He didn't like the thought of watching Rufus suffer.

The doctor shook his head. 'Yes sir, I'm sure. I am sorry but there really is nothing that can be done nor anything available that will cure this. All that can be done is keep him comfortable.'

Rufus still had some questions that he wanted answered. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answers, but he had to ask them.

'So what exactly is going to happen to me? I'm going to leak black ooze until I die from it? How did I get it anyway? There has to be some explanation about this. How did I get it but everyone else around me is fine?'

Tseng knew that Rufus wasn't so much scared anymore as he was upset. He was worried about how Rufus' moods would affect his condition. Tseng wanted him to be as relaxed as possible; something that he was furthest from at that moment.

'Please Rufus, calm down. You don't know if getting upset will just make this worse. Just try to lie down and relax.'

'I can't relax Tseng and don't presume to tell me what to do again because of this. I'm fine. Some black bruises and "ooze" coming out of them will not change that.'

The next few words that he was going to say were drowned out as the back of his hand starting to spasm. He couldn't help but reach for his hand and rub it; an action which seemed to make the pain worse. His eyes were tightly shut and his breathing was shallow as he tried to deal with the pain in his hand.

Reno, who was leaning against the wall listening to the doctor's explanation, jumped up and was at the bedside when the spams began.

'What's wrong doc? He's hurting yo, do something about that, you're the doctor; it's your job!' Looking down at the figure in the bed, he wished there was something that he could do to help him.

'Please sir calm down, it seems to get worse when you're stressed. Just lay back and let us do the worrying.'

Rufus' eyes suddenly shot open and his other hand gripped the bedsheet. He clinched his eyes shut again writing in pain on the bed trying as hard as he could to keep from screaming.

Tseng was starting to panic watching Rufus toss and turn on the bed. He's seen Rufus hurt plenty of times before; but never did he react to the pain this severely.

He was so engrossed in trying to calm Rufus that he didn't hear the doctor talking to him. 

'Sir!'

'What?'

'Here take this.' The doctor passed him a few pieces of cloth.

Tseng looked down at them, confused as to why the doctor had given him cloth.

'What the hell do you want me to do with these?'

'Clean his hand. If you leave it there too long he'll get an infection and die that much sooner.'

_Clean his hand?_ He looked down and saw the black "ooze" that was coming from the bruise on his hand. He then followed the doctor's hands to Rufus' chest and noticed that bruise releasing some of the black liquid as well.

'What is that stuff?' he heard Reno ask the doctor. He had forgotten that the Turk was in the room as well. He looked up from the hand he was cleaning and smiled when he saw Reno trying his best to soothe Rufus.

He heard the doctor let out a sigh before replying. 'We don't know what it is. We're trying to run tests on it, but everything is inconclusive; we can't determine what is making something of this substance and of this color, come from the wounds.'

After a few minutes, Rufus started to relax again as the lesions stopped leaking. His breathing evened out and he fell asleep.

Tseng watched him for a few moments, worried that all attacks would be like this or worse. He snapped out of his thoughts after Reno practically yelled in his ear to get his attention.

'Hey Tseng-san!'

'Reno, you are in a hospital and I am right beside you. There is no need for you to yell to get my attention and risk waking up Rufus as well half of the other patients in the hospital. Now what is it that you wanted?'

'Sorry about that boss. The doc's been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes yo but you're in dream land. Anyway, the doc's outside and wants to talk to ya. Get out oldie, I'll sit here and watch sleeping blondie here, well, sleep.'

Under any other circumstance, he would have chastized Reno's nickname for the President but circumstances being as they were, he ignored it and left Reno to tend to Rufus.

_I must _really_ be losing it. I let _Reno _watch Rufus alone. Hopefully he just sits still and doesn't do anything or I'll kill him myself._

The doctor was waiting right outside Rufus' room. Tseng approached him, half-worried, half-curious as to what the doctor wanted to speak to him about in private.

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A/N 2: I tried to write out the Geostigma attack out the best way I could. I don't think it came out right, but I can always re-work on it. R&R!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I'm sure we know it by now…

A/N: It's not the best, but it'll work. I'm a little stuck when it comes to how to describe all of this in an interesting way. Hopefully it is still interesting. The next chapter is half-done and hopefully since I'm not running around like a chicken with its head cut off anymore, I can finish a few more chapters too. It's been a busy summer so far…

I know this chapter is a little long, but the chapters would have been really short if it was split up and all of it goes together anyway.

Anyway, on to the fic!

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'Doctor Collins? Reno informed me that you wanted to speak to me about something. What else is wrong?'

The doctor shook his head. 'At the moment, there is nothing else wrong sir. I simply wanted to talk with you in regards to the President's comfort.'

'Do you want him to leave?'

'No sir, it's not that at all. He's only had one attack thus far however it seems that it was brought on by the stress. To minimize the attacks, I think he should go somewhere as stress free as possible.'

'What you're trying to say is that you want to send him away somewhere to die quietly.'

'That is not what I am saying. Resting, relaxing and preventing stress will ensure that he'll probably live longer then most of the other adults that have been afflicted with the disease.'

He didn't understand how making Rufus move from the hospital would benefit his overall health. However, he didn't want to be the one to make this decision; Rufus wasn't a child and could decide what he would like to do.

'So, if you don't want him to stay here, where exactly do you want him to go?'

'They have finished construction of a new hospital of sorts in the mountains away from Midgar. Patients have individual rooms, which are more like individual houses really. There is a main room, a sitting room and a bedroom for the patient. The rooms themselves are spacious and they have windows overlooking a waterfall, which adds to the peaceful setting of the establishment.'

Tseng shook his head. 'It sounds very nice, however you don't have to sell it to me. You have to convince the President that moving there would be best. He's fully capable of deciding this for himself.'

Doctor Collins nodded, 'Of course, I understand. I'll mention this option to the President when he wakes up. If you'll excuse me, I have to tend to another patient.'

Tseng watched the doctor enter another room down the hall. _Maybe it would do him good to get out of here. A non-hospital setting would probably make everyone feel better._

He opened the door to Rufus' room and found that nothing had changed. Rufus was still asleep and Reno was still sitting in the chair beside him, watching him, waiting for another attack.

Reno jumped slightly when he heard Tseng enter the room. 'Hey Tsengy, didn't hear you come in.'

'The name is Tseng, Reno. Not Tsengy, just Tseng. Call me Tseng.'

'Yeah sure, will do there Tsengy.' Reno grinned, then sensing the tension from the other Turk and was serious again.

'What did the doc tell you outside? He said something bad didn't he.'

'Has he wakened yet?'

'Rufus? Nah, he hasn't budged since you left.'

Tseng took the other chair and sat beside Reno. 'The doctor wants to speak to him when he wakes up.'

Reno sighed. 'Does that mean I have to search for that guy _again_? You do realize that when he sees me he looks like he wants to kill me don't you?'

Tseng chuckled, 'I'm sure you can fight a doctor without a problem Reno and if you can't, then I have no clue why you're still employed.'

'But he has _drugs_! The kind that could kill me.' He smirked, then continued 'For the record, I'm still employed because everyone likes me and my upbeat personality, especially blondie here. That, and I'm the only one to understand Rude so I'm a valuable asset. His silence says a lot you know; it's all in the interpretation of it.'

'That's nice Reno.'

Knowing that nothing would snap Tseng out of his mood, he gave up with the jokes and opted to try to get information about what happened.

'Sir?'

'Yes Reno?'

'What the hell did the doctor tell you outside?' When Tseng didn't show any sign of hearing him talk or telling him what was said, he decided to start guessing instead.

'What did he say? That he won't make it through the night? That he won't walk again? That he'll never be able to wear a white suit again?'

Tseng shook his head, 'No Reno, he didn't say anything of the sort.'

Reno waited patiently for Tseng to continue, but he fell silent again. 'Well, what did he say then? Just spit it out already!'

'What do you think about leaving this hospital?'

Reno fell silent for a moment and leaned his head on his hand. After a moment, his head shot up, then he turned to stare at Tseng. 'They want to send him somewhere to die away from the rest of the dying people don't they. Crazy fuckers, he deserves help just as much as them.'

_At least I'm not the only one to think that way._ 'That's what I was thinking as well. Rufus needs to be in a hospital, not out of one.'

Reno tried to calm his temper before continuing, 'So, if they're kicking him out of here, where do they want him to go? It's not like he can go back to his apartment downtown. It did kind of burn to the ground.'

Tseng sighed, 'He said he wasn't throwing him out, just thinking about his "well-being" by suggesting...'

'It's not thinking of his well-being when you want to throw a dying man out the door!'

After being cut-off, Tseng turned and stared at Reno. 'Are you quite done interrupting me? I'm trying to speak.'

Reno gave a half-hearted smirk. 'Yeah, sorry boss. Carry on.'

With a sigh, Tseng continued. 'Now, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was going to say that the doctor suggested moving the President to a facility that has been recently completed for Geostigma sufferers. He says that it would help him to move to the Healin' Lodge. He's have his own little "house" so to speak away from other patients, the doctor thinks that it would be beneficial to him and reduce his stress.'

'And what do you think Tseng?'

'I think he just wants him out of here and off his back.'

Reno silently mulled over what he was told. 'I kind of think it would help him to get out of here, sir.'

'You what? Why do you think that it would be better? There are doctors _here_. Last time I checked, he still needed them.' Somehow the idea of someone else agreeing to move Rufus from here was disconcerting to him.

'It's a facility for Geostigma sufferers isn't it? If it's for that, there's going to be doctors there just as much as there are here. Besides, I'm sure it's a lot less stressful there then it is here, not to mention more peaceful. He needs to relax Tseng; staying in a hospital where he can't do anything outside of walking around a small room isn't relaxing, Nor is it the way that I for one would like to spend my last days on the Planet.'

'And what about his legs? Therapy? What about that? Rufus isn't strong enough to go through a long trip everyday to see his therapist here.'

'Ask them to relocate or hire a personal therapist and have them move up there with him. He _is_ the President Tseng, he can have that done.'

'What about us? What do we do? He'll have doctors around him to take care of him. What are we supposed to do while he's up there "relaxing"?'

Reno looked at Tseng as though he lost his mind. 'What are we supposed to do? What the hell are we doing here now? He's got doctors here now and we're still here. He still needs people that give a shit about him around him, not just people who will patch him up for a while. Depending on how that "house" thing looks up there, we can stay there too.'

_He might just have a point. Then again, I just said I agreed with Reno which means I may have lost my mind which would mean that he doesn't have a good point. I'm giving myself a headache…_

'You hear me Tsengy? We could always go there too you know. It's not like we'll catch it, it's not contagious. We'll be fine up there.'

Tseng shook his head to clear his thoughts. 'I heard you Reno. How about we let Rufus decide what he wants to do. If he wants to go, we'll go. If not, we'll stay here. Even if it's a decision that neither of us agree with, he's the President so we really can't say anything about it.'

'Huh,' Reno began, 'We may have to go along with what he says, but that doesn't mean we can't say anything about it. Trust me Tsengy.' Tseng glared at him. Reno raised his hands up in defeat. 'Sorry, I mean trust me _Tseng_, if he makes a decision that I don't like and makes no sense whatsoever, he'll be the first to hear about it from me.'

'Do have a bit of respect for the man Reno, he is your boss.'

'Get the pole out of your ass already Tsengy, I won't overdo it. I'll just tell him he's an idiot, that's all.'

'If that's all you will do, I will look forward to seeing you try to convince him not to kill you when he gets his shotgun back.'

Reno tensed a bit. 'When he gets his shotgun back?' He coughed and chuckled a bit. 'Did I say that I would call him an idiot? I didn't mean that. I meant telling him what a great boss he is but to listen to the advice of his employees. That's what I meant. I'd never call him an idiot. The thought would never cross my mind.'

Tseng laughed at that. _At least Reno's good for comic relief. But enough of that for now._

'Reno, I think it's best if we end the idle chit chat for the moment. I'm going to nap on that couch over there. Wake me when he wakes up then and find the doctor so we can get this out of the way.'

'Yes sir. Have a nice nap.' Reno turned back to the figure in the bed, impatiently waiting for him to wake up.

Tseng rose from his seat, lay down on the small couch in Rufus' room and within minutes, was fast asleep.

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A/N 2: I'll try to have the next chapter up asap.

Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Not too much in the way of "moving forward" in the story, but more of a buildup chapter then anything else.

The next couple of chapters will be interesting! I hope anyway. :-)

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He didn't think that he had been asleep for long when he felt someone shaking him. 'Sir? Time to get up sir. Rufus just woke up.'

'Rude? Why are you in here? Where's Reno?' Tseng was admittedly confused as to why the other Turk would leave after only watching Rufus for a few moments.

'Sorry sir. I relieved him and let him get some sleep. He's been watching Rufus all day. He needed to rest too.'

_Watching Rufus all day?_

'All day? I just went to sleep, how could it have been "all day"?'

Rude looked slightly uncomfortable. 'Sir, you've been asleep for about 9 hours. The President was asleep for at least 12 hours and he just woke up. If you'll excuse me, I'll go find the physician as you asked.'

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked over to the form in the bed, who was quietly looking up at the ceiling. When Tseng rose from the couch, Rufus turned his head and watched him approach the bed.

'Good morning, sir.'

'Good morning, Tseng.'

_Why is this so awkward?_

Coughing nervously, he decided it was best to just ask the question that was on his mind and get it over with. 'Are you feeling better Rufus?'

Rufus tried his best to maintain his composure, but failed. 'Tseng, I had black pus ooze from my skin without warning, causing me _a lot_ of pain even for a long time after it was done "oozing". I now find myself awake, and my neck is starting to hurt like the other two "bruises" that I have. I want to touch it, but I'm worried that it'll act up if I do. I want to get out of bed, but I know I won't be able to stand up and walk around right now. I want to sit up in bed, but I'm too tired to even push myself up. Oh yes Tseng, I feel _much_ better, thank you for asking.'

_Why the attitude? It's not _my_ fault this happened. You want to yell at me for nothing? I don't think so._

Tseng bowed slightly and started for the door. 'I'm sorry you are still feeling unwell, sir. I'm sure that you would like to continue resting quietly so that you will be in the least pain possible. Rude will be back shortly with the doctor to discuss something important with you. In the meantime, enjoy your rest.'

Rufus felt as though he was slapped in the face. 'And what are you going to do while I'm waiting for them?'

Tseng shrugged, 'Go have breakfast, go outside, or talk to Reno and Elena. I'll find something; I'm not worried about that. Why? Is there something you would like before I go?'

Rufus stared dumfounded. He didn't expect Tseng to turn around and walk out on him. 'You don't want to keep me company until they get here? You _always_ do that.'

'Well it doesn't seem like you want company at the moment and I don't feel like staying in the company of someone that is going to let their frustrations out on me for no reason. Now if there's nothing else, I'm going to find Elena and Reno.' He went to the door and started turning the handle.

'Wait a second, come back here. That's an order!'

Tseng tensed for a moment, then released the door and went back to his boss' bedside. He only half succeeded in hiding his frustration at being ordered back in. 'You wanted something sir?'

'Why the attitude Tseng?'

'Before you accuse me of having attitude sir, I would suggest thinking back to what you said to me. If you didn't mean your comment in the sarcastic, insulting way in which I interpreted it, then my apologies.'

Rufus sat for a moment and thought it through. 'I just woke up Tseng. I'm sore, I'm tired and I'm cranky. Cut me a little slack here.'

'I am sir,' Tseng began 'which is why I'm leaving so you can wake up, calm down and stare at the ceiling until they get here. Is there anything else?'

'You asked me how I was feeling. I would think it's pretty obvious that I would feel sick Tseng. Hence the sarcasm.'

'Not necessarily, It's possible to go to bed sick and wake up feeling fine the next morning. Hence the question.'

'Are you done bitching at your boss?'

'Are you done complaining to your friend?'

Rufus stared in shock. 'Complain? When did I complain? I _never_ complain. Name me one time in the last month when I have complained.'

Tseng pulled up a chair and sat down. 'I'm going to have to get comfortable for this sir.' He looked up and noted that Rufus was looking slightly aggravated by that gesture. Smiling to himself, he began. 'Let's see, you complained when you found out you had to learn to walk again. You complained after your first day of therapy when they said not try to walk since you couldn't without falling. Then you complained when you _could_ walk saying that they were making you walk more then you wanted to.'

'Then you complained about how they keep you in bed. _Now_ you just found out you have Geostigma, which I understand is hard to accept. But you're already complaining about how tired you are and how sore you are. I'm sure it's draining and must not feel pleasant, but if you're complaining this much now, what are you going to do when it _really_ starts to hurt? We already feel for you Rufus. We know it's going to be hard on you, we really do. We will try to help you and to keep the pain to a minimum, but quit looking for pity. You're going about it the wrong way and I won't feel bad for you nor will I want to help you if you keep this up.'

Rufus, for once, was speechless. Never really seeing him at a loss for words before, Tseng wasn't sure how to interpret it. _He might kill me for this. Maybe he'll just fire me. I can only hope he'd do only that. Then again, maybe he'll agree with me? Or at the very least, understand where I'm coming from. He does value my opinion after all. Even so, he'll probably just kill me for telling him off. Great job Tseng._

Finally, after a few minutes, Rufus spoke. 'I'm not looking for pity.'

'Yes you are.'

'I am merely stating that I do not like the predicament that I am in. I didn't mean to snap at you, nor do I mean to sound like I am constantly complaining and looking for pity. It won't happen again.'

_Is he purposely trying to make me feel bad? Thank you _so much_ for the guilt trip Rufus._

'Now Tseng, what is it that the doctor wants to speak to me about?'

Tseng didn't want to be the one to bring up the topic of moving to another "hospital". He didn't know how Rufus would take it and he didn't want to be the one to take the brunt of the potential outburst. He opted to let the doctor do that.

'He just wants to speak to you about your health and well-being sir. It would be best to ask the doctor about it.' _They want to kick you out and send you to die somewhere else. That's what he wants to tell you. Only in a more polite way._

A few minutes later, Rude appeared in the doorway with the doctor behind him. He nodded at the person in the bed.

'Glad to see you're awake again, sir.'

'Thank you Rude.'

Rude then turned to Tseng. 'Is there anything else for the moment, sir?'

Tseng shook his head. 'No Rude, that's all. You can stay here in the room if you want; this is something that affects us all.'

'In that case, should I go and find Reno and Elena?'

'Yes, that would be a good idea. Hurry and find them.' Nodding his head, Rude turned and exited the door to find the other Turks.

Rufus was looking up at Tseng, confusion clearly written all over his face. 'It affects them too? How does my illness affect them?'

Tseng smiled nervously, 'You'll understand in a moment sir. It really is best if the doctor explains it to you and not me.'

Rude returned a few minutes later with Reno and Elena in tow. Reno went and leaned against the far wall, while Rude and Elena looked questionably at the doctor.

'Well, let's get on with it.' Reno began, 'I'm sure the President here is wondering what it is that involves all of us. Don't keep the man waiting doc, tell him what you want to do for his "well-being".'

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	11. Chapter 11

Rufus stared at Reno for a moment before turning to the doctor.

'For my "well-being"? Doctor Collins, I do not appreciate being left in the dark when it comes to things that involve me personally or those around me.' Rufus turned to look at Reno and Tseng.

'From what I gather, Tseng and Reno already know what you want to tell me. I must admit, that I am rather shocked and upset that you would converse with them about my health before talking to me personally, but I am sure that you have a very good reason for that. Am I right?'

The doctor swallowed nervously and nodded. 'I only spoke about it to Tseng sir. I didn't mention it to anyone else. I asked him his opinion regarding your health and the benefit to you if you were to be relocated.'

_If I were relocated? That's a nice way to put it._ Rufus couldn't help but laugh at the doctor's comment.

'If I were relocated? Are you trying to tell me nicely that you want me anywhere but here?' He added with a smirk, 'Am I _that_ bad of a patient?'

The doctor quickly shook his head. 'No, that's not it at all, sir. I'm not denying that you still need to be in a hospital, however the conditions have changed.'

Looking up at Rufus and seeing that he was interested in his explanation and didn't seem like he was thinking of ways to kill him, he continued. 'Before you were simply injured, gravely injured, but you had injuries that could be treated here. Now you have Geostigma. That isn't something that I would like to see you stay here for.'

Tseng scoffed at the doctor's comment. Rufus glared up at the man standing beside him. 'Let the man finish his explanation Tseng.'

Tseng stared in shock at the President. 'Of course. I'm sorry sir.'

Turning back to the doctor, Rufus urged him to continue. 'Why is this place not good enough for me to stay in now that I have Geostigma?'

Encouraged by the fact that Rufus seemed to be considering what he was saying, Doctor Collins continued. 'Because this place is loud, busy and noisy. It is not the best place in the world to relax. When you had your attack, it seemed like it was caused by the stress that you were under after being told about the disease. If the trigger for your attacks is stress, this isn't the best place for you to be.'

Rufus considered this for a moment. _He does have a point. But then again, moving around will cause me stress too._

'So, if you don't want me here, where do you want me to go? I can't go home; it's probably been reduced to rubble.'

'No sir, I don't want to send you home. It wouldn't be wise for you to go home and not be under medical supervision. I had suggested that you be relocated to a facility that has been just recently been constructed, specifically for Geostigma patients called the Healin' Lodge.'

Rufus glanced at the other four individuals in the room. Tseng looked upset about the suggestion to move while Reno looked interested in the idea. Rude almost managed to keep his thoughts about it completely hidden, but Rufus judged by his body language that Rude was torn between being upset at the suggestion of moving him and thinking that it was a good idea. Elena on the other hand was hiding her thoughts rather well. It seemed like she was waiting for the doctor to fully finish his explanation before judging anything.

'What is so much better about that place as compared to here?' Rufus was trying his best to understand how the stress of moving from one hospital setting to another would benefit him.

'It's quieter for one. It's away from the city therefore the noise and the pollution won't be a factor in your recovery.'

Rufus scoffed at that. 'What recovery? There's no cure remember?'

The Doctor sighed, 'I'm sorry sir. I meant that those issues won't aggravate your condition. You'll also have a personal doctor there who will be able to help you stay comfortable during your illness.'

'The rooms themselves are quite spacious. They really are more like small houses then actual rooms. There's the main room, a kitchen area, a bathroom obviously and a private room to the side for you to rest in. There are relaxing views of the waterfall and the surrounding forest.'

The doctor knew that this was the last chance he would have to convince the President that the move was for the best. He knew he had to do his best to "sell" the idea to him. 'I feel that being in this setting and being able to move around in your own "home" so to speak, would be most beneficial to you and minimize any attacks that you would have. Of course, it's not possible to _completely_ avoid attacks, or the fevers caused by the disease, but they should be minimized by keeping you relaxed.'

The doctor sighed when he was done. _There's not much else I can say that will convince them that this is for his own good. I'm not trying to throw him out; I'm trying to keep him alive as long as possible._

After giving everyone in the room a few minutes to think everything over, the doctor spoke again. 'Mr. President? Do you have any questions about what I have said? I'm ready to answer any questions you may have.'

He sincerely hoped that he didn't have any questions, but somehow he knew that he wouldn't get off that easily.

Rufus nodded. 'I just have a couple. Granted, given that now I have been told that I'm going to die, the first question doesn't seem that important. However I would still like to see it done on the off chance that a cure is found. What about therapy for my legs? I don't think I can handle a trip back and forth to see my therapist every other day.'

The doctor nodded. 'I'm sorry sir, I forgot to mention that. I did discuss the chance of your relocation to the Healin' Lodge with your therapist. He said that he has no problems traveling there to work with you on the same schedule that you have right now. There is a guest Lodge for visiting physicians and he would spend the evening there and see you in the morning as usual. I would also be visiting you approximately once a week to monitor your progress and ensure that everything else is healing properly. What is your other question sir?'

Rufus shifted uncomfortably in his bed. 'Well, who would accompany me there? Though I truly hate admitting it, the prospect of being alone in a hospital, no matter how comfortable the setting isn't appealing to me in the slightest. I'd rather be uncomfortable here, then alone up there.'

Rufus was never one to admit to others that he liked having people there for him and disliked being alone. However, seeing that only the Turks were in his room, and guessing that they had probably figured that out about him by now anyway, he didn't see the point in hiding that fact.

'There is a spare bed in the main area. If they truly dislike leaving you, which I am sensing that they do, another room can be added to accommodate them. They also have the option to stay in the guest lodge if they want.'

A sigh of relief fell from his lips, even though he tried hard to suppress it. 'Very well. I don't believe I have any further questions regarding this at the moment Doctor Collins. I'll think this through and give you an answer by the end of the day.'

The doctor made his way to the door. 'Of course sir, take your time. I understand that this is a big decision. I'll ask you about it during my rounds this afternoon.' He bowed to the President, nodded to the four Turks then exited the room.

Once gone, the President turned to his Turks. 'I would like to hear anything and everything any of you have to say about this. Whether you think it's a good idea or a bad one, if you think it would be beneficial or a waste of time and energy. _Anything_. I know that Tseng has plenty to say about this, but I am sure that you three have something to say as well.'

Rufus leaned back into the pillows on his bed and waited patiently for one of them to begin what he was hoping would be an interesting debate.

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A/N: His decision is coming! I'll have the next chapter up soon, I promise!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thank you to those that have reviewed! -gives cookies- Hopefully I'm not dragging it on too long for all of you and it's still interesting. :- )

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'Personally, I think it's a pretty good idea sir.'

Tseng turned and glared at Reno. 'How can you say that? He'll be under a lot of stress while he's being moved. Moving is stressful. I see no benefit. The doctor wants to move him to be under "less stress" but wants to stress him to the maximum _by_ moving him.'

Reno pushed himself off the wall walked towards Tseng. 'Why are you so sure that he'll be under _a lot_ of stress when he moves? It's not like Rufus _himself_ will be the one driving there. He'll be in the back of the transport, sitting down, waiting to get to his new "home". That's not stressful, that's quiet.'

'But it's still going to be stressful on him when he gets in and out of the transport.' Rude added. 'Plus like Tseng mentioned, moving on its own is stressful.'

'Thanks for siding with him there Rude.' Reno snapped.

Rude ignored his partner's outburst. 'In the long run though, the reduced stress from staying at the lodge might be worth the initial stress from the move. It might help him stay healthy, so to speak. At least a little longer then he would be here.'

'So which one do you think Rude? He should stay here or go?' Both Reno and Tseng were waiting for his response, each one hoping that he would take their respective side in the debate.

'It's hard to say, he should stay because it's a long trip but then again he should go because he'll be less stressed. In the end, I guess I would say better for him to go. Sorry Tseng sir, but it would be for the best.'

Rufus lay quietly in his bed. It seemed like they had all forgotten that they were in the same room as the individual that they were discussing. Rufus didn't mind that for the moment. They were bringing up some good points, which was helping him make his decision.

He had to bite back a smile when he saw Tseng's face after Rude gave him his opinion. It seemed like everyone except for Tseng thought that it was a good idea. Rufus then found that he couldn't keep himself from smiling or laughing quietly to himself when he saw Tseng look towards Elena for her support.

'Elena, what is your take on all of this? You've been very quiet about it and I haven't been able to figure out if you're opposed to the idea or not.'

Elena looked from Tseng, to Rufus then back to Tseng. Seeing what amounted to hope in Tseng's eyes, she looked down to the floor.

'I'm sorry sir, but I agree with the doctor. It would probably be beneficial to his overall health if he were moved from the city to someplace more quiet and relaxing.'

Tseng stared at her in what only could have been described as in disbelief. _She was supposed to agree with me. Hell, she _never_ disagrees with me. I could say that jumping off a cliff without a parachute onto shards of glass would be fun and she'd agree with me._

'I'm sure that the quiet retreat setting that the Lodge is supposed to have would be relaxing, but the need for what is available in the city is something that can't be overlooked either.'

Reno laughed at the excuse. 'What the fuck does Rufus need so bad in the city that it would keep him here? When's the last time he went outside? Rufus doesn't go and get anything from out there, _we_ bring it to _him_. We'll just have to travel further to get what the man wants, that's all.'

'Besides sir,' Elena continued, 'the physicians that are there will be taking care of a limited amount of patients and only one illness. That means that the President would have a doctor more specialized in Geostigma who would be able to help him better as compared to a doctor here who has more patients to tend to and limited contact with the disease. The doctors at the Lodge would be better at helping him cope with the pain from Geostigma, then a doctor here would.'

Reno turned to Tseng and saw that he seemed to be stunned and speechless by the fact that Elena didn't agree with him. He couldn't help but grin. 'So Tsengy, it looks like it's 3 against 1 here. Got any other excuses?'

Rufus decided that it was time to speak up. 'The four of you all have good points, both for staying here' he said, looking directly at Tseng, 'as well as reasons for leaving. I was torn between staying here and going up to the Lodge, but I must admit that Elena's reasoning was what convinced me that moving would be for the best.'

Elena did her best to hide her shock and surprise at being the deciding factor in the President's move. She bowed to the President. 'I'm glad that I was able to help you in your decision sir.'

The President laughed good-naturedly. 'As am I Elena. However I'm sure that Tseng is rather disappointed in the decision.' His air turned serious for a moment. 'Do you _really_ think that it's that bad of a decision to move up there?'

Tseng thought about it for a bit. 'It's not that I don't think it would be a good place for you sir, I'm more concerned about the trip there where it concerns your health. You haven't left the confines of a hospital for well over 2 and half months. I'm worried about how you will be when you finally do get outside and get "fresh air". I just hope you don't get sick.'

'Tseng, I don't think it's possible to get anymore ill then I am at the moment.'

'What if you catch a cold? Or the flu? At least the air in here is pretty sterile so you're fine. Out there is another matter entirely. We may be in Junon, but some people here have Geostigma too. They're sick, they're dying and there running out of places to bury them. That's causing problems and now the healthy ones are getting sick.'

Rufus remained quiet for a moment, thinking about what Tseng just explained to him.

'Why are there people here with Geostigma? I thought it was just people that were around Midgar that ended up getting sick.'

'It basically was sir,' Reno said, 'but a lot of people evacuated the city to try to rebuild their lives.'

'Evacuated the city? How badly damaged is it?'

The four of them didn't know how to inform the President that his city was all but uninhabitable. They each hoped that the other would tell him.

'Reno, how badly damaged is Midgar?'

Reno sighed and ran a hand through his hair, thinking of the best way to explain it. 'It's pretty much destroyed sir. It's mostly being used as a cemetery now.'

'How did that happen? Weapon was killed before it had a chance to destroy the city. All it did was blow up my office and the area around it. Why is the rest of the city destroyed?'

'Because the Lifestream ransacked the place. That's why a lot of people are either sick or dead; at least the ones that didn't make it into the slums.'

Rufus fell into stunned silence. Since he was in a coma during the fall of meteor and when the Lifestream went through the city, he wasn't aware of the destruction.

'Sir? Are you alright?' Tseng gently shook the President from his daze. He looked up at his bodyguard with a look that Tseng could only describe as sorrow.

'How many are dead Tseng?'

'We haven't done a casualty count yet sir. People are dying nearly everyday. They don't even have the time to make graves for everyone individually. They dig mass graves throughout the city and bury the dead.'

Rufus was dumbfounded, lost in his own thoughts. 'Destroying Weapon didn't even help them. I thought it would at least help a little; give them a fighting chance. In the end it didn't save them. They still died.'

The Turks stared at their boss, stunned. None of them had ever heard Rufus talk out loud to himself, let alone talk so despairingly about something that happened to the people of Midgar. They've never seen him so distraught about something bad happening to someone other then to himself.

'Rufus sir, it's not your fault they died. No one thought that the Lifestream was going to do this to them. The Lifestream killed them.'

Rufus didn't acknowledge Reno's comments. He continued to stare blankly at the blanket on his bed, seemingly allowing himself to be consumed by self-imposed guilt.

Tseng was beginning to worry about Rufus' behavior. In all the years that he had known him, Rufus had managed to hide any feelings behind a perfect mask of coldness and indifference. If Rufus wasn't hiding behind a mask right now, Tseng got the impression that the news was affecting him a lot more then any of them would have thought it would.

'Rufus?' Tseng gently shook his charge, trying to waken him from his daze. 'Rufus, everything will be alright. Don't stress yourself over this, you're sick and injured yourself. Think of your health.'

'I want to see it.'

The comment made the four Turks stare in shock at their boss.

'You want to what?'

'I think you heard me Rude. I want to see Midgar. I want to see what happened to my city. I want to see how the people are doing.'

'Sir, with all due respect, you're too weak to go through the wreckage. I highly disapprove of this.'

'I didn't say I wanted to walk through it. I know I can't do that. We have to get into a transport to get to Healin' don't we?'

Tseng didn't like where this was going. 'Yes sir, we do.'

'Then they can make a detour over Midgar for a few minutes. I'll see the damage, which is what I want and I won't go down in the city and risk getting hurt or more ill, which is what you want.'

Tseng sighed in defeat. 'Very well sir. We'll inform the pilot of your wish to fly over Midgar.'

'Excellent, thank you. Now, I am sorry but I'm very tired and I would like to get some rest. You all are welcome to stay in here or leave, but if you stay here, just be quiet and don't disturb me.'

The four Turks looked at each other, then two left the room, leaving Tseng and Rude alone with Rufus.

'Reno and Elena will inform the pilot of your wish to visit Midgar sir.'

'Thank you, Rude.'

Rufus closed his eyes and was asleep within minutes. Rude and Tseng looked at each other, both equally worried about the reaction the President would have when he saw the now devastated city.

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A/N 2: I hope I didn't make his "transformation" or the beginning of it seem to come out of nowhere. I haven't played the game in a while, but towards the end he did seem like he was trying to stop the Weapons from causing more damage. The same with the appearance of Midgar; I haven't read "On the way to a smile" in a while either, but I do hope that it makes sense too.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I'm sorry it's taken so long for an update. I'm kind of stuck for ideas I suppose and it's taking longer then it should. I should say that I have _some_ ideas, I just think I'm describing too much and it's making the story more boring then anything.

I do want to show how Rufus and the Turks are close, which I hope I'm accomplishing, which is why I suppose it's so long. I'm taking my time to figure out what to put into the story, without it becoming too much, but doing that makes me feel stuck on the fic.

Anyway, thank you to all who have reviewed so far! (gives cookies)  
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The two Turks sat quietly on the small couch in the corner of the President's room,  
patiently waiting for Rufus to wake up. Both of them were thinking about the President, and what his reaction would be when he saw the fallen city. Despite knowing him for as long as they have, neither of them expected the reaction Rufus had when he heard of Midgar's destruction.

'Why?'

Rude jumped slightly at the voice, 'Why what, sir?'

Tseng turned to his co-worker. 'Why does he want to visit Midgar so badly and since when does he act like this when he hears about other people getting hurt? He usually doesn't react and doesn't appear to care when he hears about bad news that happens to others, so what is so different about this time?'

'I'm not really sure, sir.' Rude adjusted his glasses and looked at his superior. 'The way he was talking about Weapon, it was almost like he did what he did in order to try to save the people and not just to stop it from damaging the reactors or anything else the he owned. I must admit though, hearing him ask to see how the people are doing is a surprise. Of course, it is a welcome surprise, but a surprise none-the-less.'

Tseng turned to look at the figure in the bed. 'Sometimes I don't understand that man. What does he think looking at the city will accomplish? There is _nothing_ left to it. There are graves, dying people, orphans, and the poor who are trying to rebuild their lives outside the town. The ShinRa tower is destroyed. There's nothing left for him there.'

'Besides, I don't think it would be the best thing for him to see the tower. Look at what its destruction has done to him. It might bother him more then anything to see the building that he nearly died in, utterly destroyed.'

Rude shrugged. 'Maybe he wants to see how things are for himself? I mean, hearing it from us is one thing, but seeing it is another. I'm not sure; maybe it would be a good thing for him to see it. It will make it more real. He only ever hears the reports from others that have been there and never goes for himself; that makes you more detached from what's happened. Actually being there and _seeing_ it could make a huge difference.'

Tseng stared at Rude for a few seconds. 'I suppose that makes some sense. I guess that it can't make things much worse then what they are now.'

'Of course things could get worse.' Tseng turned to stare in surprise at the redhead.

'Reno!' Elena couldn't help herself and slapped him upside the head. 'Don't say that! You're going to jinx everything.'

'Oh come on Laney, it's not like I said _how_ it could get worse. I just said that it could.'

Tseng was about to reprimand the two for their childish behavior, but he was stopped by a quiet, tired voice. 'I'm currently restricted to bed rest, I have trouble standing up for longer then 5 minutes and I have an incurable disease that is seemingly taking its time to kill me with black pus and fevers. What's more, I now find out that Midgar has been all but destroyed and that the people in it are either sick or dying. Things look bleak to me. Please Reno; do tell me how things could be much worse.'

Reno turned towards the voice, regretting what he had said almost immediately. 'I don't know, sir. I'm sorry yo, it was supposed to be more optimistic then it sounded.'

Reno rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, suddenly ill at ease being the center of attention. His boss was silently staring at him, while his dark haired superior was shooting death glares in his direction.

'Anyway, we told the pilot about the detour and he's ready to go whenever you are.' Reno hesitated for a moment, 'Are you _sure_ you want to go by there sir? It is a lengthy detour and it might be best if we just head out to the Lodge.'

Despite the fact that their attempts to keep him from Midgar were trying his patience, Rufus managed to keep himself calm. 'May I enquire as to why no one in this room approves of what I want to do? I want to see Midgar and I am going to see it, regardless of how much any of you disapprove. I will merely be flying over it, it's not like I said I wanted to walk through the city. I honestly do not see what the huge fuss is about.'

'It's not that we don't want you to go sir, it's just that we don't think you'll like what you see.'

'Why's that Tseng?'

'Sir, there's nothing left to the city. Unless you count the dead and dying, the city is basically abandoned. There are a few people that found inhabitable places in the city, but most people are trying to build a new life _outside_ of the town.'

'Last time I checked Tseng, it was my city and my people.' Rufus shook his head and shrugged. 'I want to see how they are. Why is that such a problem?'

Tseng shook his head, 'It's rather difficult to explain, sir. Perhaps Rude is right; it would be best if you were to see for yourself. Then you'll understand why we're trying to keep you from it. We'll be accompanying you in the chopper sir, so feel free to ask us anything you want about the state of Midgar. We've done our best to keep track of any activity in the city and around it in case you ever became curious.'

Rufus nodded his head. 'Alright, thank you Tseng. Reno, inform the pilot that I would like to head out within the hour. I want to fly over it while it's still light out.'

Reno sighed in defeat. When he got to the door, he turned to his boss. 'Are you  
_positive_ you want to go, sir? Because it's not pretty. Trust me on this, it's really _not_ a welcoming place.'

This time Rufus couldn't hide his displeasure. 'Yes, I am sure that I want to go! Get out of this room, find that pilot, and tell him what I said _now_.'

Knowing that it was pointless - and life threatening - to argue with Rufus when he was in this kind of mood, Reno kept any other arguments and opinions to himself.

'Yes sir.' He sighed, 'One trip to Midgar, coming up.'

Rufus watched as Reno exited his room, then turned to his attention back to himself. He slowly sat up and positioned himself on the side of the bed, slowly putting his weight onto his legs.

'Sir? What are you doing?'

Rufus stopped moving and looked up at the person speaking to him. 'I'm trying to get up Rude. What does it look like I'm doing?'

Tseng shook his head and went to his side. 'Sir, I highly disapprove of you moving right now. It is not a good idea to do so. You should be lying down until it is time for us to leave.'

'I can't do that. I have packing to do. I did have more then one suit and sleepwear with me during my stay and they won't find their way into a suitcase on their own. Plus I have the accessories in the washroom to pack as well. I will be fine.'

Rufus continued to stand himself up, when two sets of hands stopped him.

'I told you that I was fine.'

'We're sorry sir. The doctor put you on bed rest until we leave and we're going to ensure that you follow his orders.' Rude explained. 'I'll pack up your belongings for you, sir. Just get back into bed.'

The President tried his best to hide his aggravation, but the two Turks knew that it was there. Rufus was never the type to readily depend on others and the thought of having to do so now bothered him.

'You will not do that for me. They are my belongings and I will do it myself.'

The stress that Tseng sensed from his boss made him worry. 'Rufus, please relax. There is no need to stress yourself over suits and personal accessories. Rude is perfectly able to pack them for you.'

'I will get out of this bed and do it myself.' Rufus stopped mid-tirade, trying to cover up the pain that was starting to etch itself on his face. He stopped the two men that were reaching out from helping him further.

'I'm fine. It's just my hand, it's nothing major.'

Tseng shook his head. 'It's warning you to calm down. Rude offered to do the packing for you. Just lie back down and wait for the transport.'

Rufus sighed, knowing that Tseng was right in this case. Stressing himself over a few suits and personal items wasn't worth the pain from the Geostigma. Reluctantly, he lied back down and allowed Tseng to clean his hand while Rude began packing his bag.

'Very well. However, when I am at the Lodge, don't expect me to stay in bed all day. I do intend to move around. Hopefully, I will be able to do that relatively freely.'

Tseng sighed, 'Yes sir, you will be able to do that, once the doctor gives you clearance to do so.'

Tseng quietly tended to the Geostigma on Rufus' hand, while Rufus stared quietly at the ceiling. The silence was disturbed after a few minutes by the newcomer in the room.

'The pilot is ready to leave whenever you are sir.'

'Alright, thank you Reno. We'll be there in a few minutes.'

'Yes, sir.'

Reluctantly, Rude brought the wheelchair over to the President's bedside while Tseng helped Rufus out of bed. Once he was seated comfortably, they exited the room, making their way to the landing pad and to the tour of Midgar.

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A/N: I know, it's a chapter of nothing really happening. I'm sorry! Next chapter will be better, I promise! R&R?


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I'm going on the assumption that since Rufus was brought up in a rich family, he's a little naive when it comes to certain things and seeing "real life" as it were, will show his naiveté. I wanted it to be shown just a bit, which I hope I've managed to show.

I also know that one of the symptoms of Geostigma is mental weakness and I'm really not 100 percent sure as to how to make that come across. I'm thinking that I'm going to keep Rufus as smart as he always was, but that sometimes he just zones out. He'll either stop the conversation abruptly, or change the topic mid-conversation since he doesn't remember that they were talking about something else beforehand.

I'm hoping that will show the mental weakness symptom well. It won't happen all the time, but like the fevers and the pus, it will happen every now and then.

And thank you for the positive reviews!! (gives all reviewers cookies)

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Reno and Elena were already seated in the helicopter when the three arrived. After carefully helping Rufus into his seat, Tseng gave the pilot the OK to take off.

Rufus watched as the Junon cityscape disappeared into the horizon and the mountains came into view.

'The Lodge is in these mountains, sir.' Tseng explained. 'Everything is set for your arrival this evening. All there will be for us to do is unpack.' Rufus looked at his guard and nodded, then turned back to the window to focus on the scenery and to take the time to think.

_Midgar can't be as bad as they make it sound. I'm sure they were only telling me that in order to avoid the extra trip._ Rufus shook his head. _But what if they were serious and the city really is destroyed? What happens to the people that are still alive? Where do they go? What do they do? _How_ do they live?_

'Sir?' Tseng shook Rufus out of his daydreaming, 'Sir, are you alright?'

Rufus nodded, 'I'm fine, just a little lost in thought. Is there something wrong?'

'The pilot said that we should be able to see Midgar within the next 30 seconds or so.'

'Alright, thank you.' Rufus went back to looking out the window, half nervous and half scared at what he would see.

_It's too late to turn back now Rufus, _ he told himself, _you wanted to see it and now you're going to see it whether you've changed your mind of not._

He watched as the scenery below him changed from dead earth to twisted metal. Buildings that once stood tall were reduced to half their size whereas most of the smaller buildings were reduced to nothing but rubble.

Instead of looking at the devastation, Tseng watched Rufus to see his reaction. Given Rufus' outburst in the hospital, he was slightly disappointed when he didn't see much more then slight shock and sorrow flicker on his charge's face when the city first came into view.

Rufus tried his best to hide the mixed emotions that he was feeling while he was looking at the city. 'What happened to this place?'

'Meteor happened, sir.'

'That can't be right, Reno. Meteor never touched the ground.'

'It wasn't directly responsible for the damage, but it was the cause.'

Rufus shook his head, slightly confused. 'Then what was responsible?'

'As I had mentioned before sir, the Lifestream was directly responsible for the destruction and Meteor was the cause of the damage since the Lifestream came out to stop it. If Meteor wouldn't have existed, the Lifestream wouldn't have done this and the city would still be intact.'

He absently nodded and continued staring out the window at the city. He nearly jumped in surprise when he saw things moving in the streets.

'There are people down there!?'

'Yes sir, some people still live here. There are a few areas which are inhabitable. Most of the ones that have stayed have Geostigma and don't want to bother moving since they're going...' Reno cut his sentence short. He had realized too late that saying "since they're going to die soon anyway" wasn't something to say to someone that had the disease themselves.

Rufus looked away from the city to glance at the redhead. 'What were you going to say, Reno?' Rufus had a feeling that he knew what Reno was going to say, but wanted to hear it anyway. 'Go on, finish what you started. You were going to say that they stay because they will be dead soon and there's no point in moving, weren't you.'

'Of course not sir, I wouldn't say that. I just meant that they were comfortable here and that this was their home. Some of them prefer living in junk and dying in familiar surroundings rather then being comfortable, having someone take care of them and dying in a place that isn't their home.' Reno mentally slapped himself. _Now that was just so smart to say Reno. _He thought, _You might as well just dig your grave now._

'And which of the two philosophies makes the most sense, Reno?'

'Excuse me, sir? I'm not following you.'

'Which of us makes the most sense? The philosophy of those that are here waiting to die in their homes or mine, choosing to live somewhere else with others helping me?'

'Both are valid sir, neither one is wrong. If I was sick, I'd probably choose to be comfortable and have people care for me.'

Rufus simply nodded and directed his attention back to the cityscape. Given what Reno had said to him, the four Turks had expected an outburst from the blond, chastising Reno for speaking so freely about such a sensitive subject. When no outburst came, they looked at each other, unsure of what to say or to do. In the end, Reno decided to continue what he was explaining before he was side-tracked.

'Anyway, like I was saying, the people down there ended up finding some empty, abandoned houses and they made themselves at home.'

The President didn't acknowledge Reno. It seemed to them like Rufus wasn't really paying attention. They sat in silence, waiting for any questions that he may have. The questions that were eventually asked were questions that again, coming from Rufus, surprised them.

'Why are there so many children out on the streets? Where are their parents?'

Tseng cleared his throat, 'Their parents are dead, sir. They more then likely all died not too long after the Lifestream came through the town.'

The President followed the children until he lost sight of them.

'If their parents are dead, who feeds them? And takes care of them? Where do they sleep?'

'No one does, Rufus.' Tseng said quietly, 'They live on the street and do what they can to find food. Most of them sleep in the alleys around town.'

Rufus shook his head in disbelief. 'Not one adult in this town has tried to help them? Not one of them? _Why!?_'

_There's that concern again._ Tseng thought, _It does sound odd to hear him so openly talk about things like this. I must admit that I never thought I'd see the day when Rufus Shinra cared about others enough to stress himself out and endanger his own health._

'Sir please calm down, it wouldn't be good for you to have an attack right now. It's not much of a consolation, but most of the children have Geostigma and the adults are worried that it's contagious.'

'Contagious? _Contagious_!? Well someone tell them that it isn't and get them to help them. Having a city of homeless adults is one thing, but a city of homeless, helpless children is another.'

'It's not just that they don't want to help the kids sir.' Reno added, 'It's that they can't.'

'What do you mean by they can't?' He asked the redhead. 'Adults are better situated in life to do something then children who don't have anything.'

'Most of the adults here don't have anything either.' Reno signed exasperated. 'Look around Rufus. It's easy to say "help the kids, get them off the streets and into a warm home", but how can the adults help? Most of them had their own homes destroyed along with everything they owned. They've had their own families, their own _lives_ taken by the Lifestream. How can they help others when they don't have shit for themselves? They barely get by as it is.'

'They don't have jobs?'

'What job is available around here these days,' Rude sighed, 'other then a gravedigger?'

Rufus sat in silence, thinking about what his Turks told him. _They're right. Yelling at the people of the city is easy to do, but how can they help if they have nothing? They have no one helping _them_ get back on their feet either. How can I expect them to help the kids get back on their feet when no one is there to help them first?_


	15. Chapter 15

A\N: (they're a little long this time and I apologize in advance): I figured instead of replying to someone2003's review directly, I'd write it here, just in case anyone else had the same views as them. He may be "aloof" when it comes to some things, but he also probably never saw how the "normal" everyday people and the poor truly lived, he's only seen the higher class live their lives, hence the "naiveté" when it comes to them. As to being surprised, _something_ changed Rufus from the arrogant brat in the game to the "we're rebuilding the world" Rufus in AC. Seeing the state of the city and the citizens in it, including the children, is my take of how it happened.

The plot of the whole story is "what happened after the game and before the movie to Rufus", which I thought was a little evident and a big enough "plot" in and of itself. I'm sure the writers for the movie would make this a lot more interesting then what I wrote, but I like it nonetheless. :-) In regards to his character, no one has seen how Rufus acts when he's not working, so how he acts "alone" (ie: with just the Turks) is guaranteed to be different as compared to how he acted when we saw him in the game when he was interacting with Avalanche.

I do hope that I cleared things up, at least a bit and I do thank you for the review. :-)

That's all! (hands everyone who read that some cookies)

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Tseng watched his boss intently from the corner of his eye. He didn't want it to appear like he was staring at Rufus, but given his current behavior, Tseng couldn't help but openly stare at him.

Rufus was staring quietly out the window, seemingly lost in his thoughts. _This is no way for people to live. Why don't they get out of here and try to move on? Enjoy the last moments of their lives?_

He shook his head. _They can't. Reno said as much. They have no money to move and try to rebuild their lives. I'm sure not _everyone_ in the streets has Geostigma. The ones that don't can at least try to find a job out of town and bring an orphan with them so that they have a chance at a better life._

Rufus stopped himself mid-thought and blinked. He wanted to reach a hand up to his head and feel for a fever but he didn't. He had managed to confuse himself with his own thoughts.

_What am I _thinking!?_ Since when do I care about the people of this dirty, noisy city? I'm above them. Their suffering shouldn't bother me. I'm alive, that's what matters. Everyone else is inconsequential._

The Turks, not being privy to Rufus' internal debate, only saw their boss' actions. They weren't completely positive if they should laugh at how odd their boss appeared as he was randomly shaking or nodding his head, or if they should be worried that this trip had deeply affected him, like they suspected it would.

Tseng's stare changed from one of curiosity to concern. _He's losing it. He hasn't even seen the Shinra building yet and the sights have got to him. Perhaps I should tell the pilot to cut the trip short. I don't think that Rufus would notice._

Rufus continued to look out the window, watching the citizens that remained in the city go about their lives, arguing with himself. _These people are not inconsequential. It's _my_ city, therefore these people are my responsibility. The deaths of the people here are my fault and I am to blame for the ones that will die soon as well. It's because of my company that Sephiroth came to be, that the reactors were built and that they killed the planet. It's because of Shinra that the Planet retaliated. _

If none of these things would have been created, these people wouldn't be suffering right now. They'd still have their homes and their families. The children would still have their parents, their homes and their futures. Now they have nothing.

Tseng took Rufus' arm and gently shook him, trying to get his attention. The lack of questions, and Rufus' actions had him worried.

'Rufus? Sir, are you alright?' When he didn't get a response, he shook Rufus harder. 'What's wrong? The people will be alright, sir. Please stop stressing yourself over this.'

When he still failed to get a response, Tseng took matters into his own hands. 'Pilot, the rest of the tour is cancelled. Make way for the Healin' Lodge immediately.'

'But Tseng, Rufus wanted to see the city.'

'He has seen the city Reno, and look what it's done to him. I'm not letting him see the tower. If regular buildings and citizens have affected him so much, what's the tower going to do?'

Reno shrugged, 'Maybe he's just thinking to himself. Maybe we're reading too much into what he's not asking or doing. Maybe it's not bothering him at all. Seeing other people with nothing has never bothered him before, why it would bother him now?'

'Or maybe we were right and we never should have allowed him to come here.' Tseng shook his head. 'It's really got to him.'

Rufus was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the two conversing. He had felt someone's hand on his arm, but he ignored it. The cityscape below him, not to mention his own torn emotions, were fully occupying his attention.

_Alright, I'm to blame for the people down there with nothing. I accept that. So, Rufus A. Shinra, how exactly do you plan on repaying them for what's happened? By giving them a job?_

Rufus shook his head. _But a job where? The Junon section of the company is still operational, but there's not enough work for more people. Maybe just give them money?_

He absently scratched his head as he thought it through. _No, they probably wouldn't like the handout. They'd take offense, say I'm giving cash away as a PR move and that I'm not sincere. I can't have that. At least not right now._

The pilot acknowledged Tseng's request and began the trip back to the Lodge. Tseng looked away from Rufus and glanced out the window, eyes widening when he saw the structure that was almost directly in their face.

_Oh Planet please say Rufus is so out of it that he doesn't see the tower._

Rufus felt the helicopter make a sharp turn, which awoke him from his daze and look out again at the city. The building that stood alone in the horizon had attracted his full attention.

'That's the Shinra Tower, isn't it.'

Tseng cursed his luck. He had hoped to avoid the building.

'Yes sir, it is.'

'Tell the pilot to get closer.'

Tseng sighed. 'He cannot do that, sir. I asked the pilot to return to the Healin' Lodge. We will be out of the city limits in a minute.'

Rufus' head turned to stare at Tseng, his eyes boring holes through his bodyguard.

'You told him _what_?'

Tseng unconsciously leaned away from Rufus. Rare was it that Rufus directed his anger towards Tseng; however he knew enough about Rufus and his temper to retreat from the other's range, in case Rufus decided to lash out at him.

'I told him to make his way to the Lodge. You were out of it Rufus. You weren't listening to a thing we were saying. You were moving around as though you were talking to someone and no one is here, aside from us. This is exactly what I was worried about. I don't want to see this affect you anymore.'

Rufus tried to quell his anger. While his order was directly disobeyed, he tried to understand why Tseng went against his wishes and took it upon himself to order the pilot to leave the city.

'Tell him to turn around and go _back_ towards the tower. I was not done inspecting the city.'

Tseng stood his ground. 'I cannot do that sir. It would be more detrimental to you then anything. I cannot condone a visit to the rest of the city given your current state. Perhaps at a later date we will return, if the opportunity arises.'

Rufus couldn't hold his anger back longer. He glared at Tseng, trying very hard to contain himself and not yell. 'Listen, Turk, regardless of friendship or not, I honestly _don't care_ about what you think about this visit. The last time I checked, _I_ was your boss and _you_ were the one that followed my orders, not the other way around.'

The other three Turks in the helicopter huddled in the far corner, away from their superiors. They couldn't remember the last time they had seen Rufus this angry. What surprised them more was that the anger was directed to Tseng.

Despite wanting to shout back at his boss, Tseng did his best to maintain his calm demeanor. 'It is my duty to protect you, _sir_. That protection does not only include taking bullets, I consider protecting you from emotional dangers a part of my duty, both as a Turk and as a friend as well.'

Rufus shook his head. 'What emotional danger!? It's a building. One building of many that has been destroyed. I want to see what happened to my company's headquarters and I am going to see it, whether you approve or not. Order the pilot to turn around. _Now, _Tseng.'

Knowing that it was pointless to argue the point any longer, Tseng gave in. 'Very well, sir. But when what you see starts bothering you, don't say that I didn't warn you.'

Tseng sighed and gave the new orders to the pilot. 'Turn back towards the Shinra Tower immediately. The President would like a closer look at the damage that the building has sustained.'


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I'm _really_ sorry about the lack of updates, r/l hasn't been exactly quiet lately, so I've had to concentrate on that. I also had a lovely case of writer's block, but it did go away for a little bit, so I took the opportunity to get some of this done. (cheers) I also apologize in advance if it's not that great of a chapter. (offers a cookie to make up for it)

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The occupants of the helicopter remained silent while the pilot turned back towards the tower. Three of the Turks were wondering how long it would be before Rufus snapped and jumped Tseng, while Tseng himself was wondering how Rufus would react to the overall state of the main headquarters.

_Maybe I'm reading too much into this,_ Tseng thought, _it's just a building. He's still alive, and even if it's not much, he still has the Junon branch working. It's too small to really do anything other then power Junon, but he can build off of it. I hope he wants to get out of here soon though, being at the place where he nearly died isn't the highlight of my life._

Tseng sighed and watched his charge's face as the extent of the damage came into view. He watched as the anger his boss had only moments before melted away into a mix of awe and distress.

'Sir? Are you alright?'

Rufus didn't move his eyes from the sight before him. While the sister ray still remained relatively intact, the rest of the building was not so lucky. Rubble littered the streets on all sides of the tower, while most of the left side of the building was now laid out on the street.

Tseng gently shook the President. 'Sir?'

'This is what's left of my tower?' He said, shaking his head in disbelief. '_I_ survived _this_!? If I wouldn't know where to look, I wouldn't have even known that there was an office on the top floor since there's _nothing_ left to it, and yet I'm alive? _How_ is that even possible?'

'We tried to figure that one out too, boss.' Reno replied, 'All we could come up with was that you had a chocobo shoe up your ass.'

Tseng shrugged and shook his head. 'In all honesty sir, we don't know how you survived. I was recovering in the hospital from Sephiroth's attack therefore I wasn't able to assist in the rescue, however the other three relayed to me that they did not know how you managed to stay in one piece after the explosion, let alone still draw breath.'

'In other words, you're all saying that I'm alive by pure luck? I am not one to believe in "luck". Things always happen for a reason.'

'And what's the reason for this, boss?'

'I haven't figured out that part yet, Reno.' Rufus shrugged, 'When I do, I'll let you know.'

Silence filled the air again. Seeing the tower all but collapsed to the ground was harder to absorb then Rufus had thought it would be. Seeing the building that, in his mind, represented Shinra's power and status reduced to a hollow shell, was like a shot to the heart to him.

'So, this is what Shinra's been reduced to. Nothing but rubble.' He muttered under his breath.

'Did you say something, sir?'

Rufus glanced up at the Wutain, 'No. It was nothing.' he said, shaking his head. 'I would like to go through my office one day.'

'Sir I...'

'When I'm healed and able to move on my own.' He added. 'I know I wouldn't be able to get very far down there right now.'

Tseng nodded and leaned back in his seat, quietly observing the blond. _He's handling this better then I thought, at least externally. But I am sure it's tearing him up inside._

Tseng's musings were cut short when he felt someone lightly punching his arm. 'Yo dot man! The Boss asked you a question.'

'Forgive me, sir.' he quickly replied, blushing slightly. Tseng was not one prone to internal musings and ignoring the environment around him. To be caught doing so, was slightly shameful to the proud man. 'I was daydreaming. What was the question?'

'Does anyone have electricity?'

'Not really, sir. When the sister ray fired and the tower exploded, the reactors were knocked offline. The hospitals are running on emergency reserves.'

'How much longer can they run on the reserves?'

Tseng shrugged, 'If they turn off the power to the floors that are not in use to conserve energy, three weeks. Maybe a month at the most.'

Rufus sighed and looked back at the tower. Part of him wished that it was still in one piece and that he was back in his office, perfecting his "rule with fear" technique, while another part of him was slightly pleased to see the tower reduced to rubble.

'Are you alright, sir?'

_This is my chance to build the company that _I've_ always wanted. I can use the base that my old man made, rebuild the company over that and run it the way it should have been run in the first place._

'Sir? Yo, you ok?'

_Of course, there's a matter of finding a new power source, but that's easily taken care of. Solar energy, wind energy, oil, coal, they're all viable options._

'Mr. President, sir?'

_Corel is a mining town, I could always obtain coal from there. However, it will prove difficult to get them to consider aiding Shinra since they detest us so much. Once we would "win" them over and have the mining contract signed and sealed, we could start working on the reactors and reconfigure them so that they could run on coal. That shouldn't pose too much of a problem. The major downside is that it would produce a lot of pollution and wouldn't really be any better then the mako in the long run. Perhaps coal is not be the wisest option. We need to use something cleaner, but with as much energy output as mako._

'Rufus!' He felt the hands on his shoulders roughly shaking him out of daze. He focused on the figure in front of him, seeing the worry in the other's eyes.

'Was there a need to shake me so violently?' He asked nonchalantly, gingerly rubbing his neck to relieve the pain that was now present.

Tseng sighed, 'We've been yelling at you for the last five minutes. You didn't hear us?'

Rufus shook his head. 'No, I did not. My thoughts were elsewhere and I was not paying attention. The next time I do not answer you Tseng, please refrain from shaking me so hard; I now have a headache.'

The Wutain nodded, 'I apologize for the headache. But the next time it happens, please refrain from ignoring my previous efforts to get your attention or I will have to resort to this again.'

Hoping to avert yet another argument between the two, Reno intervened. 'Either way, Rufus is back with us and he's fine.' He turned to the President, '_Are_ you ok sir?' he asked unsure if Rufus really _was_ fine or not. He knew that Rufus was probably only thinking, but even when Rufus did that, it wasn't like him to completely zone out and not hear anything around him. Reno wasn't sure if that should be blamed on what Rufus saw, or on the Geostigma.

'Yes, I'm fine.' Rufus replied unconvincingly. Taking one last look at the tower, he turned to Tseng. 'I'm done with the tour. Tell the pilot to head for the Lodge immediately.'


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: same old thing; don't own them…

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Neither the Turks nor Rufus spoke during the flight from the wreckage to the Healin' Lodge. Despite appearing like they were now getting along, Reno, Rude and Elena still felt a lot of tension between the President and their boss. Not wanting to take the chance of adding fuel to the fire, they stayed quiet in the far corner of the helicopter, eager to land.

Tseng was still staring at the blond, not quite sure about what he should be doing. On the one hand, he knew that his job meant following orders from the President, regardless of how much he disapproved of them. On the other, he was responsible for the President and to him, it meant keeping Rufus from any harm, be it physical or psychological. Part of him couldn't help but chastise himself for allowing Rufus to visit Midgar and the tower. That part of him also wanted to talk to Rufus about what he thought and felt about the destruction, but he knew that now would not be a good time.

_Besides,_ he thought, _he's too proud to tell me what he really thinks about everything anyway. He'll tell me that it doesn't bother him at all, when I know that it does. Arrogant brat; one day your pride is going to work against you and I may not be there to rescue you when it happens._

Tseng winced when he heard the pilot's voice in his ear signaling their impending arrival to their new home. The other Turks couldn't help but bolt upright when the announcement was made, not caring how unprofessional and childish they seemed as they stared out the window, where they would be able to escape the tension in the small space.

The Wutain acknowledged the pilot's transmission and began making landing preparations of his own. He stopped when he noticed that Rufus had not yet moved.

'We'll be landing in about 5 minutes, sir.' He advised, which received no response. 'Rufus,' he tried again, this time reaching for the young man's arm to gently shake him, 'we're landing in a few minutes.'

'Hmm?' Was Rufus' only reply. Shaking his head, he looked down at Tseng's hand resting on his arm and back up at his bodyguard. _When did his arm get there? And _why_ is he looking at me like that?_ After regaining his bearings, he addressed Tseng with a tone as dignified as possible, 'What is it Tseng? And why are you shaking me again?'

Tseng didn't reply right away. Instead he stared his charge in the eye for a moment, unsure of what to say and wondering why Rufus was acting so distant. _What is wrong with him?? Distracted or not, completely disregarding the people and the surroundings around him is very unlike him. Perhaps I will bring this to his doctor's attention. He may have an explanation for his behavior._

'Forgive me for shaking you again sir, but the pilot informed us that we will be landing in the next few minutes. Please prepare yourself for landing.'

Rufus couldn't help but laugh, 'Prepare for landing? I'm already strapped onto the seat so that I won't fall since I'm supposedly too weak to keep myself from falling on my own. I have nothing to prepare for.' Smirking, he continued, 'Besides, even if I _did_ try to do anything that involved more then securing a seatbelt, I'd have four people running to me to tell me to stop and let them do it. I'll just sit here and look out the window. I wouldn't want to "stress" myself out.'

_Keep going with the attitude and we'll see how fast the four of us will rush to help you again._ 'Very well, _don't_ do anything then.' Tseng sneered, 'I'll help you put on your coat and I'll carry you out of the helicopter when we land. Then I'll take you to your room, help you change then help you into bed so that you can relax. I don't want you to strain yourself. Then the doctor can have a look at you and perhaps give you a sedative so that you can have a long rest after such a stressful day.'

Four sets of eyes were staring at the Turk. Three of the individuals were trying not to laugh and the fourth was trying very hard to not snap and kill him.

'What the hell was _that_ for?' Rufus replied between clenched teeth, 'I didn't say anything that warranted what you said. All I said was that none of you would let me do anything and you know that I'm right.'

Tseng sighed, not happy to be having _another_ argument with the blond in as little as three hours. 'Just help yourself, Rufus. Help us out by helping yourself.'

'I _am_ tying to help myself,' Rufus shouted, 'But none of you are letting me do it! When I tried to get out of bed, you and Rude stopped me. I try to walk around to strengthen my legs, but you keep laying me back in bed so I won't strain myself. I'm trying to get over the loss of my company but you don't want me to see what's left of it. I'm _trying_ to think of a way to fix everything, but you keep bugging me when I'm thinking. I _want_ to help myself but you don't want me to.' Rufus sighed, defeated. 'I know you mean well and you want to help, but you're really not. The collar you put around my neck is getting too tight and the leash is getting too short.'

The Turks sat dumbfounded. They hadn't realized how negatively their attention to Rufus would be viewed. They had viewed their actions as a means of helping a person that was unable to help themselves. What they had failed to notice was that Rufus was getting better despite the Geostigma, and wanted to try to live the rest of his life as normally as he could.

'We're sorry yo, we didn't mean to keep you down.' Reno said sheepishly, 'We meant well.'

Rufus nodded, 'I know you did, which is why I never complained more then what I did.'

'We just want you to keep your strength, sir. You'll need it for when the Stigma acts up.'

'The way the doctor was talking about the disease Rude, I can stay in bed and sleep for 10 days straight or sleep for one day and move for 9 and the attack will be the same. When I have the strength to move, I intend to move. I know I don't have a lot of time left and I don't want to spend the last of my days in bed.'

The finality of Rufus' last statement hit the Turks full-force. _He really is going to die._ Tseng thought, _No matter what we do or how much he fights us, he's still going to die. Painfully._ Tseng looked at his charge with determination and gave himself a new mission. _You won't spend your days in bed, Rufus. Even if you have to live the last of your days here, I'll be sure that you will be able to move around as much as you want; within limits of course._

'I understand your need to move around. I deeply apologize for how we've been treating you lately, but there was no malice behind it. However, with all due respect sir, I know you and I know that you will push yourself until you collapse. I will have no objections to you moving around freely, but when I notice that you are too tired to walk or keep your eyes open yet you continue to do so, I am ignoring your request and am going to make you lay you down. Is that understood, sir?'

'Very well.' Rufus sighed, 'I know I can push myself too hard, I did it all the time when I was healthy. Now that I'm dying, I don't know how much my body can take before it shuts down. In those instances, yes, feel free to help me to bed. I will pre-warn you now; even if I know you mean well and it's for the best, I will be stubborn about it, but you should be used to that by now.'

Tseng couldn't help but smile. 'Yes, I am used to that, but that doesn't mean that I enjoy dealing with it.'

Rufus smiled in return, ending their argument. A few seconds later, they bounced in their seats as the helicopter landed. Waiting for the sign, the Turks exited and helped Rufus into his wheelchair and followed him into the Lodge.

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A\N: I'm sorry if it's cheesy, it's the best I could do at the moment. I like to think of this as added drama and drama is always good right? Right.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: I am sorry for taking so long with the next chapter; the muse has decided to shut itself up completely and I managed to beat it a bit to get this out. It's not the best but I guess it'll do.

I had wanted to include the Five Stages of Griefin the story and three of them are in this chapter. In this case, it fits since Rufus did go through a huge event that greatly affected him (the tower explosion) and he's been diagnosed with a deadly disease. The three in this chapter are anger, denial and acceptance. Hopefully it didn't come out that badly!!

Oh, incidentally, if someone feels that Tseng losing his temper is OOC, it isn't. His Before Crisis profile states that he is calm and polite but that he has a hard time controlling his temper so I figured I'd throw his temper in here just for fun.

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When they entered the Lodge, the doctor on site was waiting for them. Since none of the Turks or Rufus were made aware of any meeting upon their arrival to the Lodge, the Turks stood at the ready to attack the man should he attempt something.

Noting the tension and the hostility towards him, the doctor backed away slowly, making sure his hands remained visible. 'I'm Doctor Gregor. I will be the President's physician during his stay. No one informed you that I would be here when you arrived?'

Tseng approached the doctor, stopping when he was in between him and Rufus. 'No, no one informed us that someone would be here already. We expected it to be empty and quiet upon our arrival. We weren't advised that his physician would be here, nor did we count on it. We gave no indication as to the time of our arrival therefore, admittedly, we are a little suspicious.'

The doctor nodded. 'Of course, it's fully understandable. I wasn't made aware of your arrival time other then it would be later today. I've been going over some of the things in the Lodge to make sure that it accommodated the President. His physician in Junon neglected to mention his limited mobility when we first spoke.'

Despite his greatest efforts, a sigh escaped Rufus' lips, loud enough to garner everyone's attention. _Of course, leave it the fact that can't _walk_ to interfere with our arrival. And all I wanted to do was sleep..._ 'I apologize for his forgetfulness, doctor.' Rufus began. 'I hope that you didn't go to too much trouble to make things easier for me while I'm here.'

'Not at all, sir. It was not too much trouble at all. It simply involved moving and removing some furniture and adding some features to some rooms, such as your room, the kitchen and the washroom.'

Rufus nodded to the doctor in thanks and turned to the look at the Turks, who still seemed prepared to attack. 'I also apologize for our hostility, doctor Gregor. The four of you can stand down now. I don't think he'll do anything to harm me; at least not at the moment.'

The three Turks calmed themselves and returned to the normal stance behind Rufus while Tseng backed away from the physician and went to stand beside Rufus, at ease, but still ready to defend the President if necessary. The doctor noted the protective streak in all of them and smiled. _Having people this protective and concerned about him will make taking care of him so much easier,_ he thought to himself.

'Mr. President,' the doctor began, 'would you like a tour of the Lodge right now?'

'Please, call me Rufus. There is no need to be so formal.' Rufus chided. 'And no, not at this time, thank you. The only room that I would like to be shown right now is my room so that I can get some rest. I am quite tired.'

'Of course, Rufus. Please, right through here. I'll show the others their rooms in a moment.' The doctor opened a door, which lead to a hallway where several rooms lined the hall. 'This is your room.' He gestured to the door at the end of the hall, 'I hope that it will be to your satisfaction.'

Rufus allowed the doctor to open the door and he wheeled himself in, Tseng not far behind, carrying his suitcase. The room itself was rather sparse, but the furnishings appeared to be expensive. 'The mattress is of the highest quality that we could find sir.' The doctor stated. 'I'm certain that you will find it quite comfortable.'

'I'm sure that I will come to appreciate that the longer I stay here. I'm rather certain that I'll be spending a fair amount of time in bed.'

Tseng moaned audibly, not happy thinking about Rufus and his eventual life in bed. The doctor noted the man's expression and nodded grimly before addressing the President again.

'Unfortunately, yes, you probably will. Hopefully though, we'll be able to keep you out of bed more then keep you in it.'

Not wanting to darken the mood, the doctor quickly changed the subject. 'I realize that the room itself is quite unspectacular, but this is a medical facility, not a hotel and so our decorating skills take a back seat to ensuring the maximum amount of comfort and the easiest access to care. However, you are more then welcome to decorate the room as you would like. It is your room after all.'

Rufus nodded. 'Of course, I understand. Though decorating is not on the top of my priority list right now, I thank you for the option to do so.'

'You're quite welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you before you retire for the evening, sir?' Doctor Gregor queried.

'No, thank you. I would just like to change into my evening clothes and get some sleep.'

The doctor hesitated for a moment, before asking, 'Do you need any assistance? I can have a nurse come by and assist you with that task.'

'He does not need a nurse to help him,' Tseng snapped. 'We can help him ourselves. He'll be fine.'

'I didn't mean anything by the suggestion, sir.' The doctor corrected. 'It's just that we have nurses on call for patients here specifically for things such as this. If you feel more comfortable taking care of him yourselves when it comes to these issues, you are free to do so. But if there is ever anything that is needed or if something occurs that none of you are able to handle, just know that a nurse is a phone call away ready to help.'

Tseng nodded, 'We would prefer to handle it ourselves and we will be fine. Nurses will not be necessary for him.'

'What Tseng is trying to say is thank you for letting us know about the nurses, however Tseng and the others will be able to handle most of the requests that I have.' Rufus offered while glaring at the Turk. 'Please forgive Tseng for snapping at you; we've all had a very long day.'

'It's alright, I understand where he's coming from.' The doctor replied. 'Have a good rest, sir. I will return in the morning to examine you.'

'Examine me?' Rufus questioned. 'Now what am I being examined for?'

'To check your overall health and the progress of the Geostigma. It's important for me to know what stage of the disease you are in; all the medication and treatment will be based on it.'

'Alright,' the blond sighed, 'if it must be done. I'll see you tomorrow morning then Doctor Gregor. Have a good evening.'

'Thank you, Rufus. Until tomorrow.' The doctor nodded to the two individuals then left the room, leaving them alone.

Tseng unceremoniously dropped the suitcase on the bed, removing some articles of clothing.

'What are you doing?' Rufus questioned.

'Getting your evening clothes.' Tseng snapped. 'You said you wanted to retire for the evening, did you not?'

'Yes I did, but I do know how to open a suitcase and change myself.' Rufus shook his head, sensing that Tseng was upset about something. 'Is there something wrong? Since when do you snap at me?'

'We are perfectly capable of assisting you with whatever it is that you need. I do not appreciate having some stuck up physician telling me that complete strangers would be better suited to help you. Besides, we don't know them; they can't be trusted.'

Rufus couldn't help but laugh. 'You still don't approve of my decision to relocate.'

'No, I don't. You don't know who these people. We didn't have the chance to run full background checks on any of them so we can't say with 100 percent accuracy that they are who they say they are. You just packed up your stuff and moved up here, thinking that the doctor knows exactly what is best for you. Alright, it's comfortable and quiet so that won't stress you but other then that, what is here? You're just resigning yourself to the fact that you're going to die and want to do it comfortably. That's all this accomplished.'

The blond stared at the Turk, dumbfounded. He couldn't remember the last time Tseng spoke so openly and vehemently about decisions that he didn't agree with.

'So that's what you think? That I came up here so that I could just curl up and die?'

Tseng's anger now had the better of him. The more he talked, the louder, sarcastic and insulting he became. 'What else do you want me to think? "Mr. President, we want to move you to a place where people with Geostigma are being taken care of until they die. Is that alright?" "Of course doctor. Pack my bags Turk and let's go." That's what happened. No questions about if they're closer to a cure. No questions about how long they can keep the disease from spreading. Nothing.'

'Tseng,' Rufus warned, 'I'd suggest you calm down before you say something you'll regret.'

'Then _that_ doctor,' Tseng continued, pointing towards the entrance to the Lodge, 'tells you that they picked the most comfortable bed they could find so you'd be _comfortable_ since you'll be spending so much time in it. What do you say? You didn't say "I won't need that bed, I'll be fine." No, you say "I know I'll be needing it so I appreciate it." You might as well just curl up and die now then if that's how you're going to be.'

After his tirade, Tseng took a deep breath and dropped himself onto the bed, arms hanging at his sides. All the energy he had left was drained away. Rufus meanwhile, was still in his chair, quietly observing the raven-haired man, trying to quell his own temper.

'I do not appreciate being yelled at, especially by you.' Rufus began. 'I do fail to understand how you managed to get this upset over these little things, but I am trying to understand where you are coming from.'

'You moved up here to die.' Tseng stated, sounding very tired. 'That's all this is; a place for you to die. You are stronger then this disease, Rufus. I know you can beat this.'

'Tseng,' Rufus shrugged, 'no matter how strong I am and how much I fight, it's fatal. I'm still going to die in the end.'

'You don't know that for sure.' Tseng retorted.

'When the doctor first told me that I had Geostigma,' Rufus confided, 'I denied it for days, telling myself that they were only deep bruises and that they would go away in a few days. When they didn't, I still denied it, trying to convince myself that they were from therapy and that they weren't going away because I kept falling on them everyday. When they started leaking, I tried to think it was because I had fallen on them one too many times, that I hurt them too much and that they were leaking because of that.'

Tseng listened to the blond intently. Very rare was it to have Rufus confide something so personal and he didn't want to interfere.

'When the last bruise came up and it wasn't in a place that I would fall on in therapy, I couldn't deny it any longer. I had to accept the fact that there was something stronger then me and that it was in me, killing me. Knowing that you're going to die is hard to accept, but not denying the inevitable by spending your days finding excuses for what's happening to you makes things easier.'

The Turk understood what Rufus was telling him through his own experience. _Denying it won't make it go away, it only makes you ignore it and make it worse. Accepting that it's there let's you deal with it and find ways to cope._

'Getting angry about it doesn't do much good either.' Rufus continued. 'Trust me, I know. It just stresses you out for nothing and makes you lash out at people that don't deserve it in the first place.'

'Forgive me for the outburst, sir.' Tseng sighed, 'What I said shouldn't have come out in that way.'

'You had your reasons so I'll forgive you this time.' Rufus smiled. 'Next time I won't be so nice. I still have some energy you know; I can yell just as well as you can. Plus I'm rather sure I can still fire a gun without too much effort.'

Tseng nodded and rose to his feet. 'I'll let you get some rest sir. Would you like me to help you out of the chair or with the clothing?'

'No, thank you.' Rufus smiled weakly. 'I have enough energy left to do this myself.'

'Of course, sir.' He said as he went to the door. 'Good night, Rufus.'

'Good night, Tseng.'


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone (gives cookies). Not a ton of advancement here, more of a filler chapter I guess but it's still not too bad!

I'm also really sorry for the delays in the updates. :-( Between work, morning sickness, getting the baby's room ready and all that fun stuff (not to mention a little writers block) I haven't had a chance to really sit down and write. :-\ (begs for forgiveness)

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After leaving Rufus' room for the evening, Tseng found the other Turks being led through the Lodge on a tour of their own.

'Who knows why you were so bitchy about wanting to move here, Tseng.' Reno shrugged, 'This place is pretty cool.'

'I'm so happy that you approve of the establishment, Reno.' Tseng retorted, monotone. 'Really, your approval means so much to me.'

'Ah, come on sir,' Elena spoke up, 'really, this place has everything in it! It's big, comfy, bright, quiet...everything! I really like it.'

Tseng furrowed his brows in annoyance, 'The same for you Elena; I am absolutely _overjoyed_ that you approve.'

Noticing the change in his temper, Elena backed away from Tseng and went back to looking around the Lodge.

Glancing towards Rude, he shrugged. _Might as well hear how great he finds this place too._ 'And you Rude? Do you like this place as much as they do?'

'It is nice, sir.'

Shaking his head, he turned to the doctor. 'Doctor Gregor, when this tour is concluded, I would like to speak to you in private for a few moments.'

'Of course, sir.' The doctor nervously agreed, afraid of what could happen to him alone with the Turk in the mood that he was in. 'I only have to show you all your rooms and then I will be able to speak with you.'

Tseng nodded and followed the rest of the Turks through the remainder of the tour. The doctor walked into the first room and waited for the four Turks to join him.

'The rooms are all the same, the only difference being the view outside. I'll leave you to decide who will occupy which room.'

'I'm taking this one! I want a view of the waterfall.' Elena chirped, setting her bag on the bed. 'It's so pretty; it's the perfect thing to look at when you'd want to forget that the world's been destroyed.'

The four men simply stared at her. 'Women.' Reno shrugged. 'They make no sense.' Grinning wildly, he turned to Elena, 'You know, going skinny dipping in the lake at the foot of the waterfall is a good way to forget things too.'

'Reno!' Elena shrieked, while reaching out to try to hit him. 'I would _so_ not do that, especially around someone like you!'

Reno laughed at Elena, who was now staring at the floor trying to hide the dark blush on her face.

'Both of you grow up and be quiet.' Tseng snapped. 'The President is resting and it would do no good to your own health if he wakes up because of your incessant bickering.'

Knowing that a comeback would be a sure way to get a bullet in the head, Reno simply nodded and made for the door, while Elena sunk her head lower, finding her shoes very interesting.

'Do not take the room closest to Rufus that is facing the road, Reno.' Tseng warned. 'That one is mine.'

'Alright, boss. Me and Rude will just fight over the last two rooms.'

'Fight quietly or your rooms will be holes in the ground.'

Slinking out of the room, the two remaining Turks decided on their rooms. In the end, Rude ended up opposite Tseng's room, on the other side of Rufus' door, while Reno ended up facing Elena's room.

Once the room selection was complete, Tseng approached the doctor. 'I would like to speak to you outside doctor, as soon as possible.'

The doctor nodded and gestured towards the door, allowing the Turk out first. He followed Tseng outside to the balcony, curious as to what the dark haired man wanted.

'I know we didn't get off on the right foot, sir.' The physician began, 'However we are both here to ensure the same thing. We both want to keep the individual that is ill as healthy and pain free as long as possible.'

'I'm sure we are, doctor. That's why you became a doctor; to help people.' Tseng then turned to address the physician with a serious tone. 'But this is not what I want to speak to you about.'

'Alright.' he swallowed nervously, 'What did you want to discuss?'

'How familiar are you with the symptoms of Geostigma?' Tseng questioned. 'As shameful as it is for me to admit, I do not know as much about the disease as I would like.'

Fearing a question worse then that, the doctor visibly relaxed. 'I've studied Geostigma since the first cases were reported, sir.' He then continued in a solemn tone; 'Both of my children succumbed to the disease and I've since dedicated myself to finding a cure and helping those with the disease cope with it. I've written a report on my findings regarding the disease thus far if you are interested.'

_Perhaps he is better suited to helping Rufus then I thought._ 'Thank you, I would appreciate it.' Tseng continued, 'The reason I wanted to speak with you is in regards to Rufus' behavior as of late.'

'Behavior?' The doctor questioned, intrigued. 'I'm afraid I don't follow. He appears fine to me. What kind of behavior?'

Tseng tried to find the best words to describe what he's noticed about Rufus. 'He seems to forget where he is and doesn't notice people around him. During the past few days, I've noticed that his attention seems to drift off and it's as if he's simply staring into space. He usually doesn't snap out of it until someone shakes him repeatedly, which is something that he does not like nor...'

Tseng cut his sentence short when he saw the doctor nodding at what he was saying. 'You already know what's wrong with him, don't you.' Tseng said.

'Yes, I do. It's a symptom of Geostigma.' He confirmed. 'I'm afraid there really isn't anything that can be done about it.'

'Will it get any worse?'

The doctor shook his head. 'When he starts the medication, it should slow down most of the symptoms, including the mental weakness.' When the doctor noticed the Turks' dark stare, he quickly explained himself.

'I don't mean mental weakness as in becoming less smart sir; I mean it as in losing touch with his environment, which is what you described to me. He'll still be the same as he is now, but he'll just have a shorter attention span. If it happens again, let him snap out of it on his own; there's no harm in letting the symptoms pass without outside interference.'

'Very well.' Tseng sighed, not wanting to do what the doctor suggested, but understanding that he had a point.

'Was there anything else you would like to discuss with me before we all retire for the evening?' he questioned, 'I'm sure you've all had a rather stressing day.'

'I'm sure that you had a quick look over when we first came in, correct?' The Turk questioned.

'Yes, I did.'

'Did you find anything of interest?'

'I only did a quick look over to see how many marks he had on his skin and other visible signs of injury. I saw one on his hand, the one under his shirt and the beginning of one on the side of his neck. That one will have to be closely monitored.'

_He has one on the side of his neck? How did we miss that?_ 'Why monitor that one more then the others?'

'Because of where it is. It can creep up the side of his face into his eye or go into his ear. If it does either of those, he'll have a good chance of either losing sight in the affected eye and full hearing loss in the ear. Once it gets that far, it wouldn't be long before it would take his life as well.'

'I understand.' Tseng then offered his hand to the doctor, who shook it without hesitation. 'Thank you for the information doctor, you've been most helpful this evening.'

'You are welcome, sir. I will return in the morning for my appointment with the President.' Bowing to the Turk, the doctor made his way to his personal lodge, leaving Tseng alone to think.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thanks to everyone that's still reading and to everyone that has reviewed. (gives cookies) I also can't forget to thank the ones that added me to their fave authors list. (gives more cookies) Hopefully this isn't too medical (I don't think it is though) and is still interesting!

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'Hey boss! Get up already!'

Rufus turned slightly, thinking that the shouting was just a part of his dream and went back to sleep. He then heard a sigh and felt someone shaking him.

'C'mon, let's go, sir. The doctor is waiting for you in the main room.'

Rufus slowly opened his eyes, his hand reaching up to rub the sleepiness from them. When he was able to focus, he frowned at the redhead.

'Yes, yes, I'm awake.' Rufus snapped. 'Thank you so much for waking me at such an early hour.'

'Early hour?' Reno chuckled. 'Sir, it's past noon. Last time I checked, that's late for you.'

Rufus raised his eyebrow in surprise. _I slept passed noon?_ He thought. _And I still want to sleep? That's odd. Perhaps I should ask one of them to buy me an alarm clock. I don't want to sleep in this much again._

Reno waved his hand in front of Rufus' face. 'You in there? Did you hear what I just said?'

'Yes Reno, I heard you. It's after noon and the doctor is waiting for me.'

'No, I meant after that. I asked you if you wanted me to get your wheelchair. You didn't hear me?' Reno asked, sounding slightly surprised and worried.

_He asked me that??_ Rufus shook his head. 'Of course I heard you. I was thinking about the answer.' He replied. 'Bring it to the bed, I don't feel like walking to it right now.'

Though not believing that Rufus heard him, he let the matter drop for now. _No sense in getting him pissed before he meets with the doctor, anyway. Tseng'll have my balls and Elena will shriek at me._ He brought the wheelchair as asked and followed Rufus out to the Lodge's main room.

Upon seeing the President enter the room, Doctor Gregor rose from his seat to shake his hand.

'Good morning, sir. I hope you were able to have a good night's sleep?'

Rufus nodded. 'Yes, I did, thank you. Now, what kind of tests will you be conducting today? Can't you find the results you need from my already thick medical file?'

The doctor shook his head, chuckling. 'I'm afraid not, sir. They're all standard tests for new patients in the Lodge and they have to be done. First, a blood test to verify if the Geostigma is going through your blood; a biopsy of one of the areas with the stigma to see how far along the disease has progressed. Then the usual exams will be done; I'll listen to your breathing to detect any possible stigma in your lungs and then, an overall examination to verify all areas currently stricken by Geostigma and to try and detect areas that will soon show signs of the stigma as well.'

'Oh, is that all.' Rufus replied sarcastically. 'And here I thought that it was going to be a lot.'

'It shouldn't take any longer then 3 to 4 hours, sir.' The doctor retorted, ignoring the sarcasm. 'Now please sir,' he began while reaching for a syringe, 'if you would remove your shirt, I could get started with the blood test.'

The blond nodded and began undoing the buttons of his shirt. He slowly began removing it, since moving quickly only caused the stigma already present on his arm to react, when he felt another set of hands helping him with the task. Turning to look at who assisted him; he raised one eyebrow up in question.

'I wouldn't want to see the Geostigma cause you an attack.' Tseng explained.

Rufus looked at him, slightly confused. 'Reno was the one that was in here with me, was he not?'

'Yes.' Tseng confirmed. 'But I told him to leave and that I would take over.'

'And why's that?'

'I knew that at some point Reno would have said something stupid and either you or the doctor would have killed him. The last thing I need is a dead Turk.'

'Ah.' Rufus nodded, 'he's that valuable I see.'

'It's not that.' Tseng chuckled. 'I just don't want all the extra paperwork.'

'Ahem.' The doctor interrupted. 'Whenever you're ready sir,' the doctor motioned to the needle, 'I'll begin.'

'Of course.' Rufus replied, holding out his arm. 'I can't be more ready then I am now.'

The doctor began with the tests, Rufus keeping his patience in check. He wasn't pleased that he had to go through more tests, however he understood the necessity of them.

Once the doctor completed the blood tests and the biopsy, the doctor began to closely examine the blond for further signs of the stigma.

'How is your breathing? Is that getting more difficult?'

Rufus shrugged. 'Only when I lay on my back. It feels like something is sitting on me when I do.'

The doctor examined the scar on his chest and compared it with the results he had from the hospital when it was first discovered.

'It's definitely darker then it was at first, which could mean that it had gone deeper then we first thought it would.'

Tseng shook his head. 'And that means what exactly?'

'That it's moving into his lungs. It's to be expected with the scar where it is, I just didn't anticipate that it would spread this quickly.'

Rufus sighed. _This would be the doctor's polite way of saying that I'm going to die a lot faster then he thought. Hmph, figures. It's not like I don't deserve this though; after everything that Shinra put the planet through, I suppose it's only fair it does this to me._

'Do you feel any pain in your neck at the moment, sir?' the doctor asked, not receiving a response. Tseng wanted to shake the President out of his daze, but waited for the blond to snap out of it on his own. When the doctor noticed that Rufus was no long distracted, he continued.

'Do you feel any pain in your neck at the moment, sir?'

'Only when Reno is around.' He said. 'But joking aside, not really, no. It's a little stiff at times, but nothing more then that. May I ask why?'

The doctor ignored the question and continued to examine him. 'Any problems hearing? Anything sound muffled or different?'

'No. Everything is fine. Why?'

'How about your eye?' he asked as he covered Rufus' right eye. 'Is anything fuzzy right now? Is the light hurting it? Can you see the mountains out that window?'

Rufus sighed in frustration. 'No, no and yes, I can. Now for the third time, _why_ are you asking me these questions?'

Doctor Gregor returned to his seat, Rufus' eyes never leaving him.

'Because there is the beginnings of a Geostigma scar on your neck. That is what is causing the stiffness in your neck. As the scar gets bigger, it will cause you to either go deaf or blind.'

'And how long before either of those happen?' Rufus asked, hiding his concern and disappointment at the news.

'It's hard to say really. A month, maybe two. Once the scar turns black, it'll only be a matter of time before one of the two happens, or worse.'

_Worse?? Gaia, now what…._ 'How much worse can it get? What?' Rufus smirked, 'It'll crawl into my brain and kill me that way??'

The doctor silently nodded.

'What do you mean yes!?' Rufus shouted, no longer hiding his anger. 'My other doctor said it was the body working excessively to fight off an infection. Now you're saying that it's the infection itself that is going to kill me!?'

'No,' the doctor explained, 'your body will sense the infection in such a delicate area and will work itself doubly hard to kill the infection…'

'So in the end, my body thinks it's doing the right thing by working to kill it where in the end, the fact that it fought so hard will be what kills me.' Rufus concluded.

'That's right. I am sorry for the grave news, sir.'

'Don't be.' Rufus quipped. 'I would be lying if I said that I expected good news from this exam. Is there anything else you need to do?'

'No sir, that's all. I will be back in a couple of days to check up on you.'

Tseng nodded and walked the doctor to the door. He then noticed Rufus wheeling himself back to his room. He approached Rufus and put his hands on the handles of the chair, stopping it.

'You haven't eaten yet, sir. Rude was preparing lunch and it's ready.'

'I'm not hungry, Tseng,' he sighed while trying to get his wheelchair out of the Wutain's grip, 'I simply want to return to my room and be alone for a while.'

Tseng let go of the chair and followed the blond into his. 'You said so yourself that you didn't expect any good news from this Rufus so what is your problem?'

Rufus lifted himself from his chair, staring at Tseng, anger showing in his blue eyes. 'What part of alone did you not understand? Do I have to buy you a dictionary for your birthday?'

'Your sarcasm isn't helping matters.'

'I don't care _what_ it's doing! I said I wanted to be left alone, at which point you decided to ignore my request.'

'I simply want to discuss with you what he found.'

'What is there to discuss!? I'm either going to go blind or deaf, then die when it gets to my brain. There. Discussion closed. _Get out._'

Tseng tried to help Rufus see the possible bright side. 'There's no guarantee that it will move that fast and settle there…'

'Of course it will!' Rufus shouted. 'Quit trying to look on the bright side, or cheer me up or whatever in Gaia's name you think you're doing. Just get out.'

'Rufus…'

'_GET OUT_!'

Tseng shook his head in frustration, stopping before he exited the room. 'Fine. Stay in here by yourself. Wallow in self-pity. Do what you have to do. In the meantime, we'll be in the kitchen. When you're done pouting, feel free to come and live with the rest of us.'

'I don't want to see all that I'll be losing.' Rufus murmured to himself.

'Most people want to take full advantage of the things that they'll be losing before they lose them.' Tseng replied softly. 'You're not dead yet Rufus, don't start acting like you are.'

Tseng quietly closed the door behind him, leaving Rufus alone. Sitting himself back in his wheelchair, he turned towards the picture window, losing himself in the view and his thoughts.


End file.
